Project Stars and Stripes
by Ink Outside the Lines
Summary: Bruce has had a longstanding policy of actively avoiding mysterious, morally questionable secret agencies. It's served him well. But when Bruce is kidnapped by a girl in a desperate situation, avoidance isn't really an option any more, and the deeper Bruce digs into her situation, the more complicated things get.
1. Chapter 1

The whole point of Bruce coming out to one of Tony's remote labs was to be able to work in peace. He wanted to enjoy the serenity of a small town in the middle of nowhere. He had not expected to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun in the hands of a girl who looked like she couldn't be more than twelve years old.

 _Okay, this is a first, even for me._

"You're a doctor, correct?" Her voice was surprisingly steady, considering the situation they were in. Almost as if she wasn't nervous about holding a stranger at gunpoint.

"I am," Bruce answered slowly. "You know, the gun really isn't necessary."

"I'll decide what's necessary," she said sharply. "And you're coming with me." The 'or else' hung in the air unsaid.

Bruce assessed her for a moment. She was wearing boots, cargo pants, and a lightweight long sleeve shirt under an olive green, military inspired jacket. Her clothing was badly wrinkled, as though she'd slept in them, and she had smudges of dirt on her face. Despite the disheveled appearance of her clothes, her long blonde hair was pulled back in a tight braid. The way she held the gun spoke of a familiarity with the weapon, and if she had been an adult instead of obviously a kid, Bruce would have guessed that she was trained. Judging by the set of her jaw and determined light in her blue eyes, Bruce would guess that she really did plan to shoot him if he didn't do as she said.

 _Right. Let's try to avoid that._

Not that getting shot would do any lasting damage to Bruce, but was a one way ticket to turning into the Hulk. As much as he didn't appreciate being held at gunpoint, Bruce liked the idea of hurting a kid even less. All things considered, his best course of action was to go along with whatever the girl demanded until he could figure out exactly what was going on and how he could get out of it without hurting her.

"Okay," Bruce said, keeping his voice even like the situation didn't bother him at all. "I can do that."

Some of the tension left the girl's shoulders, and Bruce didn't miss the look of relief that flickered across her face before she masked it with a scowl. "Smart decision. Let's go."

Bruce didn't move. "Are you planning to march me down the sidewalk at gunpoint? Because I think people will notice." They were currently hidden from prying eyes in the alleyway that Bruce had been using as a shortcut on his way back to the labs from the diner he'd eaten lunch in. It would be a different story when they left the alley. The streets might not be crowded here, but there were more than enough people to notice a kid with a gun and call the cops.

She grimaced, clearly not pleased about the idea of having to put the gun away, but if she wanted the two of them to get anywhere unnoticed, she didn't have a lot of options. "I'm a good shot," she told him. "I never miss. So don't think I won't be able to shoot you if you try to run."

"I won't run," Bruce assured her. Not until he figured out what was going on, and definitely not while there was a risk of innocents getting caught in the crossfire.

She slipped the gun into a holster that had been hidden by her baggy jacket. Then taking a step closer, the girl reached out and grabbed Bruce's wrist to pull him along behind her. _Strong grip._ Stronger than Bruce would have expected from her lean build and apparent age.

She led him along in the opposite direction of the lab without a word. Not that Bruce was expecting her to be chatty at this point, but if he was going to find out what was going on, he needed her to talk.

"I'm Bruce by the way," he said. He deliberately didn't mention his last name. The girl didn't seem to recognize him, and Bruce felt that was for the best.

She glanced back at him briefly before turning her attentions back to their surroundings. "I don't care."

 _Huh. Interesting._

If she didn't care who he was, only that he was a doctor, then Bruce could begin to make some guesses about what was going on. Probably she had intended her question to mean, 'are you a _medical_ doctor.' Which Bruce wasn't, technically, though he'd certainly studied medicine enough to be helpful in a number of situations.

Bruce gave the girl another quick once over. She didn't move as though she were hurt, nor did she appear sick. _She's got a companion then, and they're the one that needs a doctor._

And for some reason they couldn't go to a hospital. They must be on the run from someone, which would go a long way towards explaining the girl's disheveled appearance. _Whatever is wrong with her friend, it must be serious for her to risk kidnapping someone._

"Do you think I should know why you're kidnapping me?" Bruce asked.

She sent him another impatient look, her brows furrowed together, and Bruce was struck by a sudden sense of familiarity about her that he couldn't explain. He was certain he'd never met her before. Gun wielding preteens were pretty memorable. "My brother needs a doctor."

 _Guessed right on that one._

"I feel I would be remiss if I did not advise you to take him to a hospital for proper treatment," Bruce said.

The girl rolled her eyes in the first expression that actually reminded Bruce of a kid. "If that was an option, do you think I'd be kidnapping you right now?"

"Probably not," Bruce agreed, a wry smile tugging at his mouth. "But as a responsible adult, I have to at least suggest it."

She frowned at him before looking away again. Her grip on his arm hadn't loosened up a bit. As they kept walking it soon became clear that she was leading him out of town altogether, further confirming Bruce's hypothesis that they were runaways.

"Do you have a name I can call you?" Bruce asked.

That question got him a full blown glare, and her grip on his arm tightened uncomfortably for a moment. "It's none of your business."

"So, what, I'm just going to have to say 'hey, you'?" Bruce asked. "I'm not telling you to give me your whole name, just a first name. A nickname even."

A heartbeat of silence, and then, "Star. I'm called Star."

"And your brother?" he asked.

"James," Star replied.

Star and James. It wasn't much information, but it was a start. Not that Bruce had heard of any kids going missing. The news was still pretty well dominated by stories of the Mandarin, even though that situation had ended over a month ago. Two runaway kids probably didn't compare in the eyes of reporters.

They'd made it out of town by now. Bruce glanced down at his watch. _People are going to start noticing that I'm late soon._ It likely wouldn't alarm anyone at first. He'd been known to be struck by inspiration while at lunch before, and to lose track of time while he scribbled down notes. Probably no one would think much of him vanishing until he didn't show up at the lab in the morning – if Star kept him overnight, and depending on how sick her brother was, she just might – at which point someone would probably contact Tony.

 _If Tony comes looking for me, maybe we can settle this situation without me getting shot. And then we can get the kids back to wherever it is they're supposed to be._

Bruce frowned, recalling the easy familiarity with which she'd handled her handgun. She'd obviously been taught how to use it, a thought that left Bruce feeling uncomfortable. _Okay, maybe they don't need to go back to wherever they ran away from. But they need to go somewhere. She's just a kid._

Star led him into woods, and Bruce's frown deepened. _I guess they're camping out right now._ Which probably wasn't good for her brother.

"What's wrong with James?" Bruce asked.

"He's sick," Star said.

 _Well that's unhelpfully vague._

Before Bruce could ask more questions, they arrived at Star's camp. She had built a small shelter out of branches, and from beneath them Bruce could hear a distinct wheezing. Star let go of his wrist to duck down and lean inside the shelter. She reappeared a moment later holding a small figure, the sight of which dashed all thoughts of getting away from Bruce's mind.

Bruce immediately crouched down in front of her to better examine the toddler in her arms. James was thinner than what Bruce thought he should be, and every breath was noisy and labored. His face was flushed red, and sweat matted his blond hair down to his head.

Bruce reached for him, but paused as Star tensed. "May I hold him?"

She stared at him for a moment before nodding with obvious reluctance. Bruce gently took James, transferring the toddler to his lap. James didn't make a noise despite the movement, his eyes remaining firmly closed. Whether he was deeply sleeping or unconscious because of whatever illness was plaguing him was hard to tell. Bruce curled his fingers around one of James's wrists, counting his pulse. _Slower than it should be._

While Bruce took James's pulse, Star pulled a backpack out of their shelter and dumped its contents out between them. Baby medicine spilled out. It looked like she'd raided the kids' section of some pharmacy.

"I didn't know what to give him," Star said.

Bruce shifted through the medicine. He wasn't sure what would be best for James either. Was his illness being caused by a virus or bacterial infection? What exactly was the cause of his wheezing?

"Star, we need to get him to a hospital."

"No!" Star shook her head. "No hospitals. You're a doctor, you've got medicine. Fix him!"

"It's not that simple," Bruce said. "I don't know what's making him sick, and unless I know that, I don't know which medicine might help him or make him worse."

Star glared, her hands clenching into fists. "We can't go to a hospital. They'll find us, and then they'll kill James."

Bruce didn't ask who 'they' were, or why they wanted to kill a toddler. That was a mystery he would deal with later. "James is going to die if we don't get him proper help, Star."

Star paled at his words, but still she shook her head.

Bruce had half a mind to just stand up and walk away with James. She wouldn't try to shoot him when he was holding her brother, would she? _She's a kid. Kids aren't exactly known for thinking things through._

"Look," Bruce said, "what if instead of a hospital, we take him to the Stark Lab?"

She frowned at him, eyes narrowing, but she didn't say anything.

"I work at the lab," Bruce said. "We've got a medical section there." It wasn't exactly designed to handle sickness; the medical section was more for dealing with any injuries caused by lab accidents. Still, it was better than trying to treat James out here.

Star bit her lip, her gaze darting between his face and James's. Finally she let out a breath. "Okay. We'll go to the lab. But don't even think about contacting anyone about us."

"I won't," Bruce said.

* * *

Alexander Pierce sighed as he settled back in the seat of his car. It was all one meeting after another today, and the ride between was the only break he got. _It will all be worth it in the long run._ Even so, a long weekend sounded nice.

His phone buzzed as the driver pulled into traffic. Pierce glanced at the ID on the phone to see if it was someone he could reasonably ignore. He frowned at the screen; the number wasn't a contact in his phone, but it was one that he recognized all the same. A call from this particular number meant either something really good had happened, or something had gone horribly wrong.

He had a feeling about which it would be.

"Pierce."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Pierce." Pierce recognized the smooth voice of Dr. Miller, the woman in charge of the unfortunately named Project Stars and Stripes. He also recognized the tension underneath her words.

 _It's going to be one of those days._

"What news do you have for me, doctor?" Pierce asked.

"The latest experiment was a failure," Dr. Miller said.

"I thought you said this one looked promising."

"It did," she said, her tone clipped and short. "Unfortunately, it fell short of what we hoped for."

Pierce drummed his fingers on the armrest. "Yes, unfortunate, as you say. Why did this news necessitate a phone call?"

Dr. Miller was silent for a moment. "The asset Star ran away. She took the failed experiment with her before we could have it decommissioned."

And there was the bad news he'd been waiting for. Pierce massaged his temple with one hand. He could feel a headache coming on. "I thought there had been no behavior problems with Star."

"There weren't, which is why we were caught off guard. Prior to this she's been very obedient."

"Why was she even aware of other experiments going on?"

"We didn't know she was," Dr. Miller slowly admitted. "She must have been snooping around the compound without us knowing."

Pierce scowled, even though Dr. Miller couldn't see his expression. That was an unpardonable failure on her part. Who knew how much information Star might have on them? And now she was running about free, and with a failed experiment to top it all off. If she landed in the wrong hands, the results could be disastrous.

"Have you sent a team to retrieve her?"

"Yes, sir. She…she killed them."

Pierce narrowed his eyes. "How long ago did she run?"

Silence stretched out, taunt, and Pierce knew he wasn't going to like the answer. "Three days ago."

Three days? And he was only just being informed? If there had been any doubts in Pierce's mind about whether Dr. Miller would need to be replaced after this fiasco, that admission alleviated them. He would begin looking for her replacement immediately. In the meantime, major damage control would be required, especially if they were to have any chance of retrieving Star relatively unharmed. Too much time and effort had been invested in her creation to simply decommission her over this, and once caught she could be made to comply. _Catching her alive will take too much time and effort for regular agents._ The longer she was on the run, the greater the chance that the wrong person would notice her.

He needed someone strong enough and skilled enough to subdue Star with minimal damage and get her back as quickly as possible. The solution was obvious. He was going to have to use the Winter Soldier.

* * *

 **AN:** I'm fudging with timelines a bit, but this story is set after IM3 and before Winter Soldier.

If anyone is interested in seeing sneak peaks, updates, or stuff for this story (or my others), you can follow me on tumblr. I'm easy to find, I have the same username.


	2. Chapter 2

Bruce shifted his hold on James. The boy was small even for a toddler, but it still didn't take long as they walked back to town for him to get heavy. Star didn't seem weighted down at all by the bag of supplies that she carried slung over her shoulder. For a moment, Bruce envied the energy of youth.

"So," Bruce said, speaking for the first time since they'd started their walk back. "Who are you running from?"

Star glared at him, but Bruce wasn't deterred by the expression. She had said someone was trying to kill James, and attempted murder of toddlers was the sort of situation Bruce wanted to get to the bottom of.

"That's none of your business," she said.

"You think so? Am I wrong in guessing that if whoever is chasing you catches up with us while I'm still with you, they won't hesitate to kill me too?" It seemed a reasonable assumption, since whoever-it-was was already trying to murder a helpless kid. Based on the way Star's expression tightened as she looked away, he was right. "Then I'd say it's definitely my business."

She didn't answer him, staring stoically ahead as they walked.

Bruce sighed, shifting James again. It worried him that the boy still hadn't woken up despite all the movement. "Look, Star, I want to help you and James, but if I don't know what's really going on here, I can't do anything."

Normally Bruce wouldn't push this hard to make someone talk to him. He was more or less content to be left alone and to leave others alone. But this situation was far from typical, and they were getting close to town. Once there, where there was a risk of being overheard, Bruce was certain that Star would really clam up. If he was going to get her to open up about whatever kind of mess she and her brother were in, it needed to be now.

"You wouldn't be able to do anything anyway," Star said. "No one can. James and I are on our own."

"So, what, you're just planning to run away forever?" Bruce asked. "Because it won't work. Believe me, I know."

She looked over at him, blue eyes widening briefly. He wasn't sure what part of his statement had surprised her. "Why would you want to help us?" Star asked. "What's in it for you?"

Bruce's heart sank at the question, but not because it was unexpected. No, it fit the pattern of her behavior so far. Star hadn't shown any level of trust towards anyone in his admittedly brief interaction with her. She'd obviously been trained to handle guns, and in survival skills as well judging by the way she'd efficiently broken down her camp before they'd left, and by the way she seemed to be in good health despite being on her own. And of course he couldn't forget about the way she was on the run from someone that wanted to kill her brother.

Given all this information, it didn't really take a genius to realize that Star was trying to get out of a very dangerous situation, one that she'd probably been in for a while.

Bruce knew that there was no way he'd earn her trust in just one conversation, but he was fairly certain that how he answered this question would impact whether she stuck around or if she would run again the minute she thought it was safe enough for James to go. Saying he wanted to help because helping kids in danger was the right thing to do wasn't likely to earn him any brownie points either. He had no idea what her concept of right and wrong was, and if she was looking for a selfish motivation then she wasn't likely to believe in a completely altruistic one.

"I had to deal with people hurting me as a kid," Bruce finally said, and that was all the details she was going to get about that part of his past. "I don't like people that do that, and if I can stop them, I do."

She just looked at him for a moment, and Bruce thought it looked like Star was mentally weighing her options. Her gaze dropped to James, and her jaw tightened for a moment before her gaze snapped back up to his face. "I will kill to keep James safe," she told him. "If you betray us…"

"I'm not planning to," Bruce said.

Star looked around, as if searching for anyone that might be following them. "We're running from the Company."

She paused as though expecting a reaction, but Bruce wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to say. "Who is the Company?"

Star froze, her jaw actually dropping at his question. "What do you mean? It's the Company!"

Bruce shook his head. "I've never heard of them. And that's a pretty vague name. There are a lot of companies."

Star stared at him, face pale and eyes wide, looking for all the world as though the ground had just dropped out from under her.

Bruce tipped his head to the side. "How isolated did they keep you?"

Her look of shock turned into a glare, and wheeling around Star began marching towards town again. "Forget it. We don't have time for this. We need to get James to your Stark Labs."

Bruce decided he'd pushed her enough for now. Besides, she wasn't wrong about James.

When they made it to town, Star hesitated just enough for Bruce to realize that she wasn't sure where the Stark Labs were, so Bruce took the lead.

The labs were a set of sprawling buildings that from the outside didn't look like much. They were only two stories tall and devoid of decoration outside. But like most things owned by Stark Industries, there was far more to them than met the eye.

Bruce avoided the main entrance. He didn't think Star's nerves could handle it, and he really didn't want anything to spook her into pulling out her gun again. Instead he led her around to a side entrance. Bruce swiped his keycard and opened the door into the wide hall.

Star followed him in, and Bruce noticed the way she scanned the hall for others. Luck was on their side as the hallway was clear. This particular entrance let them in near the medical center, which was typically a quiet area unless someone had had an accident.

"This way," Bruce said, leading her on. "Dr. Branch and her nurse Ethan will be in the medical center." Star's eyes narrowed, and Bruce hurried to add, "They won't call anyone. I'll make sure of it."

"The more people that know we're here, the bigger risk we're in," Star said. "The Company is looking for us."

"I know," Bruce said, "but Dr. Branch will do a better job at taking care of James than I would."

Star stopped walking. "You said you were a doctor."

Bruce paused. "I am. But I'm not a medical doctor. I know quite a bit about medicine, but actual medical doctors still know more than I do in that area."

Her hands clenched into fists, but Star didn't say anything else and kept following him. Bruce opened the door to the medical center, which let out a soft chime to announce their presence. The medical center was, of course, state of the art, with all the latest equipment. Most of that equipment was neatly packed away, leaving the wide room feeling spacious.

Bruce carried James towards the nearest examination table, Star stuck to his side like a bur. Ethan came out of the back office to see who had entered. Though Bruce knew Ethan's name and face, he'd never interacted with him much before. Even so, Ethan knew exactly who Bruce was. "Dr. Banner, how can I help you?"

"I need you to get Dr. Branch immediately," Bruce said, carefully laying James down.

Ethan's gaze swept over James and Star, but he didn't argue before turning and heading back into the office. Star watched him go. Bruce started to raise a hand to touch her shoulder, but stopped himself in time. He didn't know how she'd react to unsolicited touch, and Bruce didn't want to push boundaries. Instead, he cleared his throat to get her attention.

When Star looked up at him, Bruce said, "They'll help James. You'll see."

Star didn't say anything right away. She looked down at James, reaching out for a moment to gently trace his flushed cheek with her fingertips. For a moment, her expression looked lost. Vulnerable. Then she took a deep breath, and the shutters came down, her face hardening into a look of determination. "They'd better."

Bruce wished he could tell her that it was okay to be scared, but he had a feeling that wouldn't go over well at all. So he said nothing.

Dr. Branch walked out of the back office, Ethan trailing behind her. "What seems to be the problem?" she asked as she drew near the exam table.

"This is James," Bruce said, taking the lead. "He's pretty sick. If you could look him over, I'd appreciate it."

Dr. Branch eyed James even as she pulled on a pair of gloves. "I'm not a pediatrician, Dr. Banner."

"I'm aware," Bruce said. "Consider this a special favor."

Dr. Branch pursed her lips, but nodded. "Very well."

Bruce stepped back to move out of their way, and Star reluctantly followed his lead.

"What's James's last name?" Ethan asked as he typed some information into a computer.

"Unnecessary," Star snapped. She crossed her arms over her chest, which put her hand closer to her gun than Bruce was comfortable with.

Dr. Branch looked up from where she was leaning over James. "Miss, if we're going to help you, then you need to cooperate."

Star glared at her. "You don't need his last name to fix him. It's unnecessary."

"Dr. Branch," Bruce interjected, "could we please just skip the last name?"

She shot him a hard look, but Bruce didn't offer any more information. Star was on edge, and Bruce didn't want to push her. Not while she was armed.

"Okay, how about a date of birth then?" Ethan asked.

Star's jaw clenched, and it looked like she wasn't going to answer that question either. "Star," Bruce said to draw her attention back to him. He waited until she met his gaze before saying, "They need to know how old James is. His age could affect his treatment."

A heartbeat passed before Star sighed. "He's biologically two."

 _That's an odd way to phrase it._ Biologically two. As if the answer might be different if measured by another standard. Of course that was impossible.

Wasn't it?

"Star. How old is James chronologically?"

She tilted her head to the side, considering for a moment. "About five days."

"But that's impossible!" Ethan blurted out. It was exactly the wrong way to react, because Bruce could see Star tense up, her right hand slipping under her jacket.

"Nurse," Dr. Branch snapped, which had the fortunate side effect of making Star pause. "It's irrelevant. Pertinent information only." Her voice was steady, and her expression calm, which Bruce was mildly impressed by. She had to be just as shocked as he and Ethan were by Star's casual revelation, but she didn't show it.

Ethan looked for a second as though he wanted to protest, but he didn't. He swallowed and nodded, saying, "Right. Sorry, doctor." Looking back at Star he asked, "Does James have any allergies that you're aware of?"

"I don't know," Star said.

"Okay," Ethan said. "And how long has he been like this?"

"Two days."

To Bruce's relief, some of the tension left her as she answered the questions. Now if she would just stay relaxed.

"Ethan," Dr. Branch said again. "I need you over here."

Ethan abandoned the laptop and questions to attend to Dr. Branch. _That can't be good._

Based on the way Star had tensed up, she must be guessing the same thing. "Star," Bruce said, in part to distract her, but also because the question was nagging at him. "How old are you? Biologically and chronologically I mean."

She looked up at him frowning, and again Bruce was struck by a sense of familiarity. Her expression reminded him of someone, he just couldn't pinpoint who.

"What does it matter?" she asked.

"To help James, it doesn't," Bruce admitted. "But it'll help me learn more about what the Company can do."

She seemed to consider his words, her head tilting to the side. After a moment she said, "I'm biologically thirteen, chronologically two and a half."

Bruce struggled to keep his expression neutral. That was even worse than what he'd been expecting. The level of technology needed to cause such rapid age acceleration, especially while allowing the subject to be as relatively stable as Star and James seemed to be, should be impossible. Beyond the fact that it should be impossible, Bruce couldn't see the point. Why would the Company _want_ them to age so quickly? What use was a thirteen year old with only two and a half years of life experience?

"Okay," Bruce said. "Star, do you know why the Company created you and James? Why did they want you to age so quickly?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment Bruce didn't think she was going to answer him at all. "They told me they wanted super soldiers. People that were more than regular, so we could change things. I was a success – sort of." She looked back over at her brother. "James wasn't. That's why they want to kill him. He won't ever be strong enough."

Bruce stared at her as she stood there, her brows drawn together, her arms crossed over her chest, and her feet settled shoulder width apart. That expression, that stance, they were _familiar_.

The pieces started to click into place.

Super soldiers. Two and a half years. A toddler with health issues, who would never be strong.

Bruce still didn't know who the Company was, but he was fairly certain he now knew what they were doing.

The Company was trying to clone Steve Rogers.

* * *

 **AN:** Dundundun! Well, not really. The clone thing wasn't meant to be a surprise. Anyway, a few people mentioned wanting to see the reactions of the other Avengers meeting Star and James, and I promise that's coming. I had planned for them to show up in chapter three, but it's looking like that's not going to work out. Introductions will definitely start by chapter four though. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy Bruce's adventures in babysitting.


	3. Chapter 3

_Never let them see you're scared._

That lesson had been drilled into Star over and over by her trainers. Fear was a weakness. Weakness was not tolerated. So Star pushed down the fear that threatened to overwhelm her as she watched Ethan and Dr. Branch work with James. She pushed down the fear that she was making a terrible mistake by telling Bruce anything.

 _I need allies. This has to work._

Star couldn't fix James. She'd picked up some basic first aid for injuries during her training at the compound, but she'd never dealt with sickness. Star _needed_ someone that could fix him.

People were risks. The more people that met her and James, the bigger the chance that the Company would find them. Other people were also the only chance that she had of keeping James alive.

 _I don't have to trust them. I just have to trust my ability to stop them if they betray me._

"Star?"

She looked back up at Bruce, and was caught slightly off guard by his expression. This was the most unnerved that she'd seen him look, even counting when she'd been pointing a gun at him. "What is it?" Star asked, wary of what his answer might be.

Bruce ran a hand through his brown hair before replying. It seemed he was struggling to choose his words. "Do you – "

"Sorry to interrupt," Dr. Branch said, stepping away from James and removing her gloves. Star switched her attention to the woman, dismissing Bruce's question as something that could be addressed later. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for James here."

"You have to!" Star said. She could feel her heart rate speeding up, and her hands clenched into fists.

Dr. Branch shook her head. "It's not a matter of whether I want to help. As I said earlier, I am not a pediatrician, and this medical center isn't equipped to take care of sick toddlers. If it was something simple, that would be one thing. Ethan is giving him medicine to help reduce his fever, but that's all we can do, and James needs more help than that. He needs to go to a hospital; if he doesn't, there is a very real chance that James may die."

Desperation clawed at the back of Star's throat. They _couldn't_ go to a hospital. How many times had she overheard Company agents talking about hospitals being easy ways to find people? If they went to a hospital the Company would find them, and what if she couldn't stop their agents this time? James could _die_ , but if they didn't go James would die anyway.

Had she done all this for nothing? Was James just going to die no matter what? Had she failed?

"Star." Hands pressed down on her shoulders, and she started. Star hadn't even noticed Bruce moving in front of her, but there he was, leaning towards her, hands gently holding her shoulders. "Star, I need you to breathe with me."

 _Breathe?_

"Breathe in five seconds, and release for five seconds," Bruce instructed. "Come on."

Star adjusted her breathing to match his automatically, and after a few moments she could feel her heart rate settling back down.

"Better?" Bruce asked.

"I – yes," Star said.

Bruce let go of her, straightening up. "Good. Star, listen for a moment. I can see you've been doing everything that you can to help James, and you've done a good job. But I think Dr. Branch is right about him needing a hospital. I know you're worried about the Company finding you, and you have a right to be, but I think I have a solution. I have some friends. They protect people. It's kind of their job. If you let me call them, they can meet us at the hospital. I know they'll help keep James safe."

Star hesitated, trying to run through the risks in her head. If she refused Bruce's offer, took James, and left without getting him help, death was certain. If she refused Bruce's offer and took James to a hospital on her own, death was almost certain. If she accepted Bruce's offer for help, death was…less certain.

She didn't like the idea of trusting James's life to strangers, but it was the best chance that he had.

"Okay," Star said. "You can call them."

"Thank you, Star," Bruce said. He moved a few steps away and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket.

Star moved towards James. Ethan had already given him his medicine, but Star couldn't see a change in him yet. When she touched James's face, it was still too warm.

"Hey, Tony," Bruce said into his phone.

Star didn't look up from James, but she still turned her attention to Bruce's conversation. She'd told Bruce that the Company had wanted to make super soldiers, but she doubted that he realized exactly what that meant. Star was enhanced in a number of ways, including her hearing, a skill that even the agents at the Company tended to forget about.

"What's up, Big Guy? You never call me," said a voice through the phone. Presumably it was this Tony person.

"Yes, well, we've got a bit of a situation."

"The project giving you trouble while I'm gone?"

"No, no, that's going fine. But – you know what, this'll be easier to explain in person. Meet me at Northside Hospital. Bring the suit. And backup."

"Bruce. I've been gone _two days._ "

"Just meet me at the hospital, Tony."

Star looked up when she heard Bruce start walking towards her. "Let's go, Star. I'll drive us to the hospital."

She scooped James up off the table, and she felt a surge of relief when James shifted in her arms, his watery blue eyes blinking open. He whimpered, and Star cradled him close as she followed Bruce out of the medical center.

Bruce led her through the halls of the sprawling building. This time they had to go through spaces that had other people, and Star tensed up every time someone did a surprised double take of her and James. Still, even though it was obvious by their reactions that everyone knew she and James didn't belong, no one tried to stop them or questioned their presence.

 _Weird. If we were at the compound, someone would have stopped us by now._

No one that wasn't supposed to be at the compound would have been allowed to walk around so freely, even if they were accompanied by someone that worked there. _Unless they were with Dr. Miller. No one would mess with someone that was with her._ That was different though. Dr. Miller was the one in charge of project Stars and Stripes, of course no one would question her.

 _Wait a minute…_

Star did a double take of her own, suddenly reassessing Bruce. He didn't seem like the sort of person that would be in charge of anything. Everything about him seemed rather average: average height, average build, quiet demeanor, the sort of person that would fade into the background. He was nothing like Dr. Miller, who commanded attention simply by walking into a room. Star would never have noticed him on her search for a doctor if she hadn't overheard some woman at that diner refer to him as 'doctor' when wishing him a good day.

Even though Bruce didn't have a commanding presence, people seemed to listen to him. Dr. Branch had protested that she wasn't supposed to examine James, but she had simply because Bruce had asked her too. People were coming to protect James, just because Bruce had asked. No one was trying to stop Star or James from being where they clearly shouldn't be, just because they were with Bruce.

 _This guy is important._

She couldn't say for sure what his exact role was, but Bruce was someone with a lot of pull. _But even as someone important, he's never heard of the Company._ Or at least he claimed that he hadn't. It didn't make any sense to Star. The Company was everything, they influenced the whole world. How could anyone not know about them?

They entered into a parking garage, distracting Star from her thoughts. She eyed the area, disliking the way her line of sight was obstructed by the vehicles and concrete pillars. Star listened, but the only sound she could hear was the echo of her and Bruce's footsteps.

Bruce led her to a plain gray car, pulling a set of keys out of his pocket. He cast a concerned look over Star and James as she walked around to the passenger side. "James really should be in a car seat, but I don't have one. I guess you'll just have to hold him and hope we don't get pulled over by a cop."

Star kept her expression neutral. She wasn't willing to admit that none of what he'd just said made sense to her. His question echoed in her mind as she settled in the front seat: how isolated _had_ the Company kept her? She was starting to think that the answer was far more than she'd realized.

"It'll take us about half an hour to get to the hospital," Bruce told her.

Star nodded, settling James comfortably in her lap. He nestled close to her, eyes closing as he went back to sleep. She brushed his bangs back from his face, marveling for a moment over just how small he was. Star had never met anyone that was younger than herself before James, and she still couldn't quite believe that people started out so tiny.

"Since we've got some time," Bruce said, "do you think you could tell me more about the Company?"

Star eyed Bruce. She'd agreed to his plan because it seemed the most likely way to keep James alive for now, but that didn't mean she trusted Bruce. She didn't like the idea of giving him more information when she didn't know anything about him.

"What are you a doctor of?" she asked.

"I – what?" Bruce asked, glancing over at her before his eyes darted back to the road.

"You said you aren't a medical doctor, but you're a doctor of something," Star said. "What?"

"Nuclear physics," Bruce said. "I dabble in some other areas, but that's my degree."

Star frowned, because once again she didn't know what that meant. "What do you do at Stark Lab?"

For a moment, Bruce didn't answer. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "Have you heard of the Avengers?"

Star glared in his direction. Why was he turning this around to ask her questions?

"It's relevant to your question, I promise," Bruce said.

"No," she finally admitted. "I've never heard of them."

Bruce nodded, keeping his eyes on the road as he talked. "Okay, well, the Avengers are a team of, uh, heroes. They fight bad guys, protect people, that sort of thing."

Star still didn't see how this was supposed to connect with his work at Stark Labs, but she didn't interrupt him.

"One of the Avengers is, ah, the Hulk." Bruce glanced her way, but Star wasn't familiar with that name either so she didn't say anything. Bruce shifted his hold on the steering wheel before continuing. "The Hulk is pretty powerful, but…but sometimes he loses control. When that happens, innocent people can get hurt. That's why I'm trying to help Stark Labs create a suit of armor that will hopefully be strong enough to stop the Hulk, if he loses control and puts others in danger."

Star turned the information over in her mind. There were a number of different threads that she could pursue in the information Bruce had just given her, it was hard to pick which to focus on first.

"That man you called for help, Tony," Star said. "Is he one of these Avengers?"

"He is," Bruce said. "They call him Iron Man because – well, you'll see when he arrives at the hospital I'm sure."

Star looked out the window at the passing scenery as she considered Bruce's words. "And the backup you told him to bring. Will they be Avengers too?"

"Maybe," Bruce said. "I wasn't really specific."

That only confirmed Star's impression that Bruce was someone important, even if he was framing his explanation in a manner intended to downplay his importance. Star wasn't sure exactly why he would do that, but it was clear that Bruce didn't want to advertise his exact standing.

Regardless, he'd been more forthcoming with his answers than she had expected him to be. Star felt that perhaps earned some openness on her part as well.

"The Company," she started, but had to pause for a moment to decide exactly how she wanted to phrase things. She'd never talked to someone that didn't know anything about the Company before. "They want to change the world. Make it better."

"And how do they plan to do that?" Bruce asked.

Star pressed her lips together for a moment. "I'm not sure. They weren't really clear on that part."

Dr. Miller had spoken in grand terms about changing the world. She'd told Star that she would have an important role to play, fighting the enemies of the Company that wanted the world to exist in a state of chaos. But she never gave specifics. Who was creating chaos? How could it be stopped? What did all that even mean exactly?

"Dr. Miller told me that soldiers would be needed; soldiers that could do more than regular people. That's why they made me."

"Dr. Miller?" Bruce asked, and while his tone was neutral, the glance he sent her was wasn't.

Star went cold. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

She knew that the Company had enemies. She _knew_ that. What were the odds that the person she chose to kidnap to help James would _actually_ want to help them? Bruce had even admitted to having powerful friends. Were they even going to a hospital, or was Bruce driving them straight to an enemy compound?

"Star?" Bruce looked over at her for a moment when she didn't say anything. "Is something wrong?"

Her grip on James tightened, but carefully. She didn't want to accidentally hurt him. "Why do you care who Dr. Miller is?" she asked. "If you don't know anything about the Company, then why does it matter?"

Bruce was quiet for a moment. "I told you before that I don't like people that try to hurt kids. That's the truth, Star. I never heard of the Company before meeting you. I only know what you've told me, and what I've guessed. I don't need to know any more than that to know I want to stop them." He glanced her way again, and for the first time he actually looked angry. "They told you that they want to make a better world? Well, tell me this, Star. What do you think a better world looks like to people that are willing to murder helpless children?"

Star didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say. She'd never given any thought to the details of what the Company's image of a better world was.

She looked down at James, who was nestled up to her. There was no doubt in her mind that killing James was wrong. She could still hear Dr. Miller's voice giving the order: _"It's useless. Schedule it to be decommissioned."_

Decommissioned. As if using a different word would somehow make James less dead. And it was all because he wasn't useful.

 _Is that the kind of world the Company wants?_

A world where everyone was useful. That was how the compound was run. Everyone there had a role to play. So far as Star could tell, people came, did their job, and left. No one ever came to the compound if they didn't have good reason.

If that was the kind of world that the Company wanted, then what exactly did that mean for anyone the Company decided _wasn't_ useful?

" _Schedule it to be decommissioned."_

Star felt sick.

She didn't answer Bruce's question.

* * *

 **AN:** So, my writing has not gone totally to plan, and I'm pushing back the introduction of the rest of the Avengers again. Bruce and Star have ended up having a lot to talk about. Tony is definitely showing up in chapter five though. No promises regarding the rest.


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the ride to the hospital was quiet. Bruce wanted to ask more questions, but he held back because it looked like Star was deep in thought. He hoped that something he said got through to her, that maybe she was realizing that the Company needed to be taken down.

Though she had given him enough to make a start at least. Dr. Miller. It wasn't much, but there could only be so many Dr. Millers involved in the kind of research that would lead towards cloning technology.

They pulled into the hospital parking lot, and Bruce noticed how Star sat up straighter, her blue eyes darting around to take everything in. "Hey," Bruce said, and she shifted in her seat to look at him. "I think you should consider leaving your gun in the car."

Her stare dropped to a scowl, and Bruce hurried to continue. "I promise, I am not planning to betray you. But hospitals have security, and if they notice that you have a gun, they will call the cops, no questions asked."

She stared at him a moment longer before huffing. "Fine. I'm out of bullets anyway."

Bruce's relief at her agreement was quickly overshadowed by her words. "Wait, what?"

"I said I'm out of bullets," she replied as she stuck the gun in the glove compartment.

Bruce was silent as he pulled into a parking space. _She held me up with an empty gun. Wait, why was she carrying an empty gun?_

Star was out of the car before he could ask. Bruce was pretty sure he wouldn't like the answer anyway.

When Bruce got out of the car, Star was eyeing the hospital with open distrust as she held James close. "They're going to ask questions, aren't they?"

"They are," Bruce said. He needed some kind of story to tell. He couldn't claim they were his kids. If someone recognized him, that story would fall apart too easily. "If you just call me Uncle Bruce while we're in there, that should head off any questions about how we're related. If someone does ask more questions, we'll say you're my cousin's kids, and that you're staying with me right now because your parents are out of town. No, they're on a cruise, that way they'd be completely unreachable."

Star's head tipped to the side. "Why your cousin's kids? If you're supposed to be our uncle, shouldn't it be your sibling's kids?"

"Typically yes," Bruce said. "But I don't have any siblings. If anyone recognizes me, that story would be easy to pick apart." He held out his hands for James. "I'll carry James inside. They might think it's odd if I don't."

She hesitated for a moment, but handed James over. This time the movement made James stir, his eyes blinking open as he whimpered. Bruce held him close, and James rested his head on Bruce's shoulder, one hand clinging to his shirt collar. _Poor kid._ At only a couple days old, James probably couldn't even comprehend why he felt so terrible. All he would know was that he did.

Bruce and Star walked through the sliding glass door that led into the ER waiting room, which by some stroke of luck was not as full as Bruce had feared it might be. He made his way to the front desk, Star sticking close behind him.

The older woman sitting behind the desk pointed at a clipboard before Bruce had a chance to speak. "Sign in, please."

Bruce shifted his hold on James so that he was holding him with one arm so he could write with the other. As he scribbled down their information on the sign in sheet, the woman asked, "What's the problem today?"

"This little guy has been sick about two days now," Bruce said.

The woman – Cheryl according to her nametag – assessed James for a moment before jotting something down on her paperwork. Then she selected a clipboard prefilled with paperwork and handed it to him. "You can have a seat while you fill this out. Bring it back when you're done."

Bruce thanked her and found some chairs at a bit of a distance from everyone else in the waiting area and sat down. Star sat in the seat next to him and leaned against him. The action caught Bruce off guard; Star hadn't seemed like the kind of person that would initiate physical contact with others. But a quick glance around the room gave an explanation. Those few children in the waiting area that weren't messing with their phones were typically leaning up against their parents. She was blending in. _And making sure she can see everything I write._

There wasn't a whole lot that Bruce could put down. He marked James's last name as Banner, because it was easier than trying to remember a made up name. He picked a date for his date of birth that would put James at two years old. He checked off symptoms that he had observed, but when it came to the section asking about preexisting conditions, Bruce hesitated.

If he was right about his guess that Star and James both being clones of Steve, and that James had somehow missed out on the changes made by the super soldier serum, then James absolutely had preexisting conditions. Bruce wasn't sure what all of them would be though – he was by no means an expert on what Steve's health had been like before he'd become Captain America.

 _Probably better not to put down anything anyway._

Star would want to know how he knew the information, and Bruce wasn't quite ready to tell her that he thought he knew who they were clones of.

He left that section blank and signed at the bottom. "I'll be right back," he told Star before standing up and taking the paperwork back to the front desk.

Cheryl thanked him when she took it, informing him that someone would call them back soon. When he turned around, he caught sight of Star watching him intently. He couldn't help but be a little amused. What did she think he was going to do at this point? Run away with James?

 _She'll figure out that I'm committed to this eventually._

But even as he thought it, Bruce wondered what exactly he was committing himself to. His main plan at the start of all this had been to get James to a hospital for proper medical treatment, and then perhaps call the police so they could handle the whole 'runaway kids' situation. Now that Bruce knew about the Company, and that Star and James were clones of Steve, that wasn't really an option.

He settled back into his chair, and James squirmed, making soft noises of distress. Bruce didn't have much experience with small children, but he did know that those soft noises could become loud noises very quickly. In an effort to distract him, Bruce dug his car keys out of his pocket and dangled them in front of James's face. James went quiet, his gaze locked on the shiny new object in front of him. He reached for the keys, and Bruce let him grab them.

"How long will we have to wait?" Star asked.

"No way to know," Bruce said. "They'll get us when they can."

She leaned against him again, but this time all her focus was on James, who was turning the keys over in his hands. "He seems better."

"For now," Bruce said. "The medicine Dr. Branch gave him seems to be helping, but it's probably only a temporary fix. Once the medicine wears off, he'll be the way he was before."

Star was quiet for a moment. "Do you think he'll eat something now? He's refused to eat since he got sick."

That wasn't good news. "Since we're here, we'd better wait until he's seen by the doctor," Bruce said. He glanced down at Star. "When was the last time you ate something?"

"Yesterday," she said without looking at him. "But I'm fine."

 _Sure you are._

Bruce had seen how much food Steve needed to eat. He doubted Star needed as much food, she wasn't nearly as big as Steve, but she definitely needed to eat. _I should have thought to ask her on the way up here. I could have at least gotten her something from a drive through._

He dug his phone out of his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Star asked.

"Texting Tony," Bruce said. "I'm going to ask him to bring some food."

It didn't take Tony long to respond.

 **Seriously?**

 **Yes. Have kids to feed.**

 **Since when?**

 **Tell you when you get here.**

It took Tony a minute to reply this time. **This better be good. How much food?**

Bruce smiled. He'd figured it wouldn't take too much to get Tony to agree. **Enough for two kids.**

"How long will it take him to get here?" Star asked as Bruce slipped his phone back into his pocket.

Bruce took a moment to consider her question, calculating how far away Tony was verses how fast the Iron Man suit could fly, and counting for how the food stop would slow him down. "Maybe an hour, hour and a half?"

For a second, Star actually looked disappointed. _Right. You're just fine not eating._

"Banner?"

Bruce looked up and caught sight of the nurse in blue scrubs that had called his name. "Come on, Star," Bruce said. He shifted his hold on James – who luckily was still focused on the keys Bruce given him – so that he could stand. He walked towards the nurse, Star following behind.

The nurse quickly focused on them, flashing a smile. "Hi, I'm Denise. If you'll just come right this way."

She led them through the door and back to a room that had clearly been designed with children in mind based off the colorful posters, smaller scaled equipment, and the jar of stickers on the counter. "I see from your paperwork that James hasn't been feeling well," Denise said.

"That's correct," Bruce said. "He's been running a fever, won't eat, is sleeping more than normal, and I'm concerned about the wheezing."

Denise nodded, setting her folder on the counter and pulling on a pair of gloves. "We'll definitely check that out. Think you can get him to stand on that scale for me?" She nodded towards a small scale on the floor.

Bruce hesitated for just a second. He actually wasn't sure if James knew how to stand. So far, either he or Star had been carrying James everywhere. Granted, at two he ought to be able to stand, but he was also technically only five days old. Bruce wasn't sure what that meant for James as far as hitting developmental milestones.

 _Please be able to stand._

Carefully, Bruce set James down on the scale. James wobbled for a moment, but to Bruce's immense relief he was able to stand on his own. "Do I need to take the keys off him?" Bruce asked.

"Please," Denise said.

Bruce tugged at the keys, hoping James would just let go. He didn't. Instead, James held on to them tightly, making a noise that Bruce was pretty sure was an angry protest. "Come on, James, you can play with them later," Bruce said, and with some reluctance he pried James's hands off the keys.

James's chin wobbled, but before he could let loose the cry that Bruce was sure was about to come, Denise swooped in waving a colorful sticker in his face. Whether James was distracted by the colors of the sticker or just by the fact that a stranger was moving near and talking to him, Bruce couldn't tell, but either way James didn't start crying.

"Hey, James, see the sticker?" Denise said. Her voice had shifted to that high pitched, cutesy sort of tone that was typically reserved for small children. "Would you like one?" She peeled the sticker off and stuck it on his chest. "There you go!"

James looked down and patted the sticker on his shirt. While he was distracted, Denise adjusted the scale and marked down the information on his chart. "Could you move him to the exam table for me?" she asked.

Bruce obligingly picked James up and set him down on the exam table. The crinkling of the paper underneath him seemed to catch James's attention, as he stared down at it and pressed on it with his hands.

As Denise busied herself taking James's temperature, Bruce glanced over at Star to see how she was doing. She stood out of the way with her back to the wall, arms crossed over her chest and eyes watching Denise. She seemed, tense, uncomfortable, but that wasn't terribly unusual for people in hospitals, so Bruce doubted anyone would remark on it.

"Okay, I'm going to need a blood sample from him," Denise said. "Do you know how he is with needles?"

"I'm not sure," Bruce said. "I'm just babysitting this week. I've never had to take him to the doctor before."

Denise nodded. "Well, we'll give it a try and see how things go."

She pulled out the supplies she needed, getting everything ready to go on the counter before turning her attention back to James. "Okay, James, this part isn't fun but I promise it'll be over quick."

Bruce noticed with interest that James looked up at her while she spoke. While Bruce sincerely doubted that James understood what Denise was saying to him, he at least seemed to be aware that her words were directed towards him.

Denise wrapped the elastic band around James's arm, and he immediately began fussing and trying to pull away from her. "Oh dear," Denise said. "He's going to be a fighter. I won't be able to draw his blood if he's moving. Think you can calm him down?"

"He's better for Star than me," Bruce said, guessing that would be the case since Star had had more time with him.

Denise smiled at Star. "What do you say, big sister? Want to help me out?"

Star walked over and took James's free hand, stopping him from pulling at the band. "Hey, James, look at me."

James did look up at her, and he looked rather pitiful too, with his flushed and tear stained face. She cupped the side of his face so that he couldn't see Denise. "It's just you and me. No one is going to hurt you."

James calmed down as he focused on Star, but the moment Denise touched his arm again he put up a fuss, jerking away.

Denise sighed. "Looks like we're going to have to hold him down to get the sample."

Star frowned, and glanced over at Bruce.

 _I really hope this isn't bringing up any bad memories for her._

"I'll hold him," Bruce volunteered, stepping forward.

Star stayed still for a moment, but then she stepped back to make room for Bruce. James cried louder at her retreat.

"Uncle Bruce," Star said. Her fingers twitched at her side.

"He'll be okay," Bruce assured her. He reached for James, and carefully eased him back down on the exam table. James kicked his legs, his cries rising another notch, but then his cries changed. They went from angry shouts to a gasping wheeze, his chest rising and falling at a rapid rate.

Denise leaned over him for a second, the smile she'd been wearing gone from her face. "Asthma attack. Do you have medicine for him?"

"His parents didn't give me anything," Bruce said.

"Stay here," Denise said, heading for the door.

As soon as she was gone, Star pressed in close. "What's happening?"

"James has asthma," Bruce said. He watched as James's eyes darted around as he continued to gasp and struggle for air. "An asthma attack means he's not able to breathe like he should. Denise went to get something to help him."

The seconds seemed to drag by, punctuated by James's labored breathing. Then Denise was back, carrying a nebulizer with her. Bruce backed away to let her work, tugging Star with him. Denise slipped a mask over James's face and hit a button on the nebulizer to turn it on. It hummed to life, and Denise stayed where she was, observing James's reaction.

Bruce relaxed as he saw the tension leave Denise's shoulders, and she looked back at them with a smile. "Looks like he'll be okay. We'll just leave this on him for a little while." Her attention shifted to Star. "Asthma attacks can be a little scary. Has he done this before?"

"No," Star said. She was still a little pale as she watched James.

Denise pursed her lips for a moment. "Hm. I suppose being sick could have triggered the attack. But that's a question best left for the doctor." She looked over at Bruce then. "I really hate to say this, but I still need to collect a blood sample."

Bruce stopped himself from sighing, but only just. This was going to be a long appointment.

* * *

The Winter Soldier took his time suiting up. It seemed that every time they woke him, his suit was different. Different materials, different strengths, different weaknesses. So he took his time getting ready, learning his suit, and mentally calculating how to take advantage of its strengths and how to compensate for its weaknesses.

The door opened as he dressed, but the Winter Soldier didn't react except to confirm that it was the same Hydra agent that had woken him up. "You're not ready yet?"

The Winter Soldier didn't say anything. The answer was self-evident.

The agent sighed and waved the file in his hand. "I guess it doesn't matter anyway. We found your target, but you can't go after her right away. There's been a complication, and we're going to have to adjust."

The Winter Soldier didn't speak. He simply fastened the clasps that held his armored jacket closed, running through in his mind what he knew about his mission.

It was a retrieval, no more than minimal damage allowed. Not his typical mission. But he understood the necessity. The target was an important asset, one that was enhanced enough that the average Hydra goon would struggle to bring her in without doing serious harm to her.

The minimal damage restriction was going to make this mission complicated enough. The Winter Soldier wasn't pleased to hear that things were getting more complicated before he'd even begun.

He turned to face the agent. "What complication?"

The agent started, clearly not having expected the Winter Soldier to ask anything. It wasn't an unusual reaction. Most Hydra agents didn't seem to believe that he could think. Some even forgot that he was capable of speaking. He didn't care. It never bothered him to be underestimated.

The agent eyed him. "We'll go over it at the briefing. Come on."

The Winter Soldier picked up the last part of his suit - the mask. No matter what changes they made to his suit, there was always a mask. Slipping it on, he followed.

* * *

 **AN:** It should probably be noted that I am not a medical professional, and I have zero experience with asthma. I wrote this pretty much based on what I could find online. If I have made any glaring errors, feel free to tell me and I will do my best to fix it.


	5. Chapter 5

Star decided that she didn't like hospitals, and not just because of the risk of discovery. She didn't like the waiting, waiting, waiting. She didn't like the way all their help seemed to cause discomfort too. She didn't like the noise she could hear, the crying and coughing and whispering and arguing. She didn't like the smells, sharp and strong and stinging her nose.

They'd been at the hospital longer than Star wanted to be. The nurse had been in and out, but they were still waiting for the doctor. They had been waiting long enough that James had drifted back to sleep, which honestly was a relief. At least if he was sleeping he wasn't crying. And his breathing sounded better now, so that was good too.

But it was all taking so _long_.

Bruce's phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at it before looking over at her. "Tony's here."

Star tensed up at his words. She knew that Bruce planned to tell this Tony person about the Company. He claimed that Tony could help. So far, Bruce had done everything he'd said he would. He seemed sincere when he said he wanted to help her and James, and he'd promised his friends would help too.

Even so, she found it hard to believe him.

"They're not going to let him come back here," Bruce said. "Why don't you go back to the waiting room and meet up with him? He's got dinner for you."

"I don't want to leave James," she said.

"I know," Bruce said slipping his phone away. "But there isn't anything you can do here. I have to stay with James because I'll have to talk to the doctor, whenever he gets here. You can go eat."

Star's stomach cramped at the thought of food. She could go a while without food – the Company had tested that. Didn't mean it was pleasant to miss meals.

She glared at Bruce. "I won't leave him unprotected."

Bruce met her stare and held it. "I'll protect him. I promise. I'll guard James with my life." Then he smiled. "Besides, it'd be pretty hard for someone to get back here without causing a fuss, right? I think you'd notice that from the waiting room."

 _He's…probably right._

"He'll be fine," Bruce said. "Go meet Tony. Get something to eat."

She bit her lip for a moment, and then asked, "How will I recognize him?"

Bruce's smile turned wry at that question. "He's hard to miss. You'll know him when you see him."

Star didn't really care for that answer, but Bruce didn't seem to plan on giving her any more information than that. She took a step towards the door, and then hesitated, glancing back. Bruce made a shooing motion with his hand, and she scowled at him. She did as he said though, leaving the room and making her way back to the waiting area.

Her attention was immediately caught by a man speaking with the woman running the front desk. The man was speaking quickly, punctuating his points with gestures from one hand, while his other hand was occupied with cardboard boxes and plastic bags. Based on the bits of conversation that she was catching, he was trying to talk the woman into letting him find someone.

Star considered. He didn't look like she'd imagined. Certainly nothing about him seemed to warrant the title of Iron Man: wrinkled clothes, messy hair, and completely unarmed as far as Star could tell. But the smell coming from those cardboard boxes suggested he had food, and he was the only attention grabbing person in the waiting room.

She stepped towards him. "Hey, Uncle Tony." Bruce had said the title would keep people from asking too many questions about why she was with him, so maybe it would do the same for her being with this guy. She just hoped he was smart enough to go with it.

He looked at her, one brow quirking up, and Star plunged ahead, "Uncle Bruce said you had dinner."

The woman looked at him, eyes narrowing. "Uncle? I thought you said you weren't related."

Alarm spiked through Star, but the man – Tony, she was certain he was Tony – spoke quickly. "Well, we're not blood relatives. I'm the family friend kind of uncle."

The woman seemed unconvinced, but all she said was, "You can't eat in here."

"Okay," Tony said. He smiled at Star. "Up for a picnic, Half Pint?"

She frowned at the nickname. He didn't know her actual name though, so she supposed she'd have to let it slide. "Sure."

She followed him out the sliding doors and came to an abrupt stop. On the sidewalk just to the side of the doors was a gleaming red and gold suit of armor. "Yeah, the suit is pretty cool." Tony grinned at her over his shoulder as he kept walking towards a nearby bench. Star looked between Tony and the suit, and realized that this must have been what Bruce had meant when he'd said she'd find out why Tony was sometimes called "Iron Man."

She followed him to the bench that he'd chosen. The spot made her uneasy. While their backs were to the building, the bench was in an exposed area. There was no good cover if anyone from the Company came. Though at least she had a clear line of sight for the door and the parking lot. No one would be able to sneak up on her.

Tony set the cardboard boxes in her lap. "I got pepperoni and cheese. Hope you like one of those."

Star opened the box on top and stared for a moment. She recognized individual items – the bread, cheese, slices of meat – but she'd never seen them combined in such a manner. She hesitated to ask the question, because she could tell by the way Tony spoke that he expected her to recognize the food, but Star didn't. "What is it?"

Both of Tony's brows went up her question. "What, you've never seen pizza? Where'd Bruce find you?"

Star bristled. "He didn't. I found him." She looked back down at the pizza. It smelled good, and she was hungry, but she wasn't exactly sure how she was supposed to eat it.

Tony reached over and tugged a piece out of the box and took a bite. Given the easy way it had separated, Star assumed this was what she was supposed to do, so she tugged out a piece for herself. She was surprised by the amount of flavor when she took a bite. Nothing she'd eaten in the compound had had so much to taste. She quickly finished off the first piece and grabbed a second.

"So, Half Pint." Tony leaned back, stretching his legs out in front of him. "What's going on? Why does Bruce think you need backup?"

Star chewed slowly as she tried to make up her mind about how to respond. She knew Bruce intended to tell Tony everything, but the idea was still nerve wracking. How many times had Dr. Miller stressed that Star couldn't trust anyone outside the Company?

 _I can't trust the Company either._

Maybe that meant doing exactly what the Company wouldn't want her to do was the right thing.

"My name is Star." Maybe if he knew that, he'd quit calling her Half Pint. She picked up a third piece of pizza and glanced Tony's way. "Have you ever heard of the Company?"

Tony tipped his head to the side. "You'll have to be more specific. There are lots of companies."

Star sighed. That was how Bruce had reacted too. _Maybe they really don't know about the Company._

It still seemed wrong. It certainly didn't match up with the image of the Company that Dr. Miller had painted for her. But then, she wouldn't have guessed that Dr. Miller would order James's death if she hadn't heard her.

"I only know them as the Company."

"Ominously vague." Tony reached over and grabbed a second piece of pizza. "Go on."

Star took a bite of her pizza. _Well, if he doesn't know who the Company is, maybe I should just be upfront._ At least, upfront so far as the information she'd already given Bruce went, since Bruce was going to tell Tony what he knew anyway.

It wasn't what Dr. Miller would want her to do. The thought pleased Star.

"They said they were trying to make a better world, but that there were people out there that would oppose them. So they needed soldiers."

"Soldiers."

Star paused, looking at Tony. His voice had been different on that word. Flat, tight. His expression matched his voice. That he was upset was obvious, Star just couldn't figure out why. She watched him as she said, "Yes. That's why they made me."

Tony's jaw ticked. "I'm starting to get why Bruce called for backup."

Star frowned. _He's upset because I'm a soldier?_

That didn't make any sense. She was made to be a soldier, and better equipped for it than most. "That's not the bad part."

Tony's mouth opened for a second and then closed, like he couldn't find the words he wanted to say to her. "I'm sorry, how is the whole child soldier thing not the bad part?"

Star rolled her eyes. Why was he so fixated on something that wasn't the point? "The bad part is what they were going to do to James. When they made him, the process didn't go the way they wanted. He's never going to be strong, so they were going to kill him. I took James and ran." She paused for a second to see if Tony had anything to interject, since he seemed to do that a lot, but he didn't. He just sat there, listening. "James got sick two days ago. I don't know how to fix sickness. I was looking for a doctor, and that's how I found Bruce. He's with James right now, waiting for the doctor."

Tony still didn't say anything. Star went for another piece of pizza.

"Save room for dessert."

She paused, looking over at him. "What?"

He opened one of the plastic bags and pulled out another smaller box. "I got glazed donuts. Ever heard of those?"

"No," Star said. She closed the top of the pizza box, and Tony handed her the box of donuts.

"Think of it as a sweet bread then."

Star opened the box, intrigued by his description. She knew that fruit was sweet, but the idea of a sweet bread was strange to her. The donut was sticky to the touch, but when she took a bite it delivered on the promised sweetness. Star eagerly downed it and got another.

"You keep saying that the Company made you and James," Tony said. "What do you mean by that?"

She swallowed the last bite of her donut. "That they made us." She wasn't sure what was confusing about that. "Did you bring anything to drink?"

Tony dug through another bag for a moment before pulling out a plastic bottle filled with a brown liquid. She'd never seen anything like it, but everything else he'd brought had tasted good, so Star wasn't hesitant to try it at this point. She was caught off guard though by the way the drink fizzed and bubbled down her throat.

"What is that?" she asked.

"It's a soda," Tony said. "That particular kind is called Pepsi."

Star took a smaller sip, and now that she knew to expect the fizziness, she decided she liked it.

A vehicle pulled into the hospital parking lot, catching Star's attention. It was a black SUV, its windows tinted so dark that she couldn't see the people inside it. Star's stomach churned, and she suddenly wished she hadn't eaten anything after all.

The Company had vehicles like that.

Star tracked it as it drove through the parking lot, and then pulled into a space near the back. Once it was parked, three doors opened. A woman got out of the driver's seat, and a man got out of the backseat. She didn't recognize either of them, but she did recognize the man that got out of the front passenger seat, and Star thought her heart might stop at the sight of him.

She had known the Company would likely ramp up its attempts on her and James after she'd killed the first team that had come after them. She'd never thought that they might send _Steven Rogers_ after her.

 _Don't panic. They don't know that you know. They don't know._

Dr. Miller had never told her that she was a clone of the original super soldier, Steven Rogers. Star had done some digging and found out that much on her own. She hadn't found much more than that; she wasn't willing to dig too deep into information they didn't want her to have and risk getting caught.

 _They don't know that I know. I still have the element of surprise._

"There's the rest of the backup," Tony said. "They made it sooner than I expected."

Star went cold. _Backup? That can't be right._

They were halfway through the parking lot. There was no time to decide if this was betrayal or ignorance. It didn't matter either way, because the end result was the same. Star shoved the boxes of food and her drink at Tony, ignoring his startled "Hey!" as the drink spilled on him.

"I'm going to check on James," Star said, heading for the entrance.

"Half Pint, wait a second!"

She ignored Tony, moving as fast as she could without making it obvious that she was trying to get away from the new arrivals. Luckily, they were headed towards Tony rather than following her, but that would only buy her a few seconds at most. Star walked through the waiting room, and as she was walking past the front desk the woman sitting there said, "Miss, wait."

Star ignored her too, only glancing back when she heard the woman push her chair back. "I said wait! You can't go back there alone!"

She saw Tony, Steven Rogers, and the other two at the entrance. Star picked up her pace.

The door to the room they had been using opened, and Bruce stepped out into the hallway holding James. When he saw Star he looked surprised, but surprise quickly shifted to concern. "Star, what's wrong?"

Star grabbed his arm and dragged him along, going down a different hall. "Hey!" A man - presumably a doctor based on his white coat - called after them. "That's not the way to the exit!"

"Star," Bruce said. She felt him pull back, trying to slow her down, but Star just yanked him with her. There was no time to explain. "Where's Tony? What's going on?"

She spotted an unoccupied office with a window and went for it.

"Star, you've got to talk to me."

"No time," she snapped, pulling him to the office.

"Bruce!"

Tony's voice. Which meant _he_ was there.

Star shoved Bruce into the room, slipped a throwing knife from its hiding place in her sleeve, whipped around and let it fly. She paused only long enough to see that Steven Rogers dodged the knife, and then she dove into the office, slamming the door shut and flipping the lock.

"What are you doing?" Bruce demanded.

"He's with the Company!" Star said, because maybe if he knew he'd quit arguing. She pushed him toward the window. The door would only slow them down for a second, if that. "Window, now!"

"The Company? Star, wait -"

The door handle rattled. Star whirled towards it, pulling out her last knife. She wouldn't let them take James. Not without a fight.


	6. Chapter 6

_Fifteen minutes. I left her alone for fifteen minutes._

Why did things have to get so chaotic so fast?

There was a pop as the door was pushed open, breaking the door frame. Star lunged.

"Stop!"

Star didn't listen to Bruce's shout, but Steve did, pulling the door closed again so Star's knife sank into the wood. Before she had a chance to pull it out, he shoved the door, sending her stumbling back several steps. Steve stepped into the room, and judging by the expression on his face, he was in full blown Captain mode.

"Stand down, kid."

Star's response was to grab a nearby lamp and throw it at Steve's head. Steve ducked, and she attacked again.

 _This can't end well._

Not so much because Bruce thought Star actually had a chance of succeeding in her apparent plan of killing Steve, but because Steve's options for stopping Star without hurting her were pretty limited. At the moment Steve was staying on the defensive, probably trying to think through that very problem, but this needed to end. Someone had surely called the police the moment Star began throwing knives around.

 _Why does she even want to –?_

 _She knows._

Star kicked at Steve, but he caught her foot and shoved, sending her tumbling back. Before she could get back to her feet, Bruce called out, "Star, he doesn't know about the clone thing!"

She froze. Steve shot him a look. "The what?"

Tony stuck his head through the doorway. "Did I just hear you use the words 'clone thing'?"

Star was watching him as she slowly got back to her feet, and Bruce hoped he hadn't just ruined what little trust he'd built up with her so far by that display of knowledge.

"It's just a guess," Bruce said, "based on what Star told me. Am I wrong, Star?"

She hesitated, eyes darting between the three of them. Her gaze lingered on Steve for a second before moving back to Bruce. "No."

Tony stepped into the room completely now. "Clones? Really?"

"Really. Look, I'd love to talk about this in more detail," Bruce said. "But we should probably get out of here before the police show up."

"Too late!" Clint called from the hallway.

Bruce sighed and closed his eyes. _This was supposed to be a quiet afternoon._

"We'll handle it," Natasha called.

Between the two of them, Bruce figured they probably could get rid of the police, but that still left the rest of them waiting for a few minutes in a tense situation. Bruce wanted to get Star _out_. She wasn't attacking anyone at this point, which was good, but she was on edge. Her face was pale, eyes wide, and her hands were clenched into fists at her side. It didn't look like it would take much to push her back into a panic.

"Since we've got a moment," Tony said. "They're _clones_? Of who?" But even as he asked the question, Bruce could see the lightbulb going off behind Tony's eyes, and he looked sharply between Star and Steve.

"Of me," Steve said. For once, Bruce couldn't get a read on Steve's expression. He was just blank, in a way that Bruce had never seen before.

"But that doesn't even make sense," Tony said. "She's what, twelve? Capsicle hasn't been back that long."

Bruce waited a moment to see if Star would respond. When it was clear she didn't plan to say anything, he spoke up. "She's biologically thirteen. Chronologically, she's two and a half." Which put her just a couple months shy of when Steve had been pulled from the ice.

Tony sighed. "And every time I ask a question, I end up with more questions." He gestured towards James. "How old is he, forty-eight hours?"

"Five days," Bruce said. "Or two years old."

Steve glanced over at James, and Bruce saw Star tense even more, her jaw clenching tight. Bruce wanted to reassure her that James wasn't in any danger; that it would never even occur to Steve to hurt him, but it didn't really feel like a good moment for that.

"Look, here's the situation as I understand it," Bruce said. He looked over at Star. "Feel free to correct me if I get anything wrong. There's this organization out there, calling themselves the Company. They want super soldiers, and apparently decided the best way to get them was to clone Steve. Star was a success. James…I'm pretty sure James is a clone of you pre-serum. Which wasn't what the Company wanted, so they were going to kill him. That's why Star took him and ran, and now the Company is after them."

The three of them were quiet after his explanation. Predictably, Tony was the first to speak up. "I still have questions."

 _You and me both._

"Now is probably not the best time," Bruce said.

Natasha chose that moment to stroll into the room. She gave them all a curious once over, but being Natasha it was impossible to guess what she might be thinking about any of this. "We're ready to head out, if someone has a destination in mind."

"Pharmacy," Bruce said. "I need to get James's prescription filled. From there…" He trailed off, because he really wasn't sure what the next step after that should be.

"The Tower," Tony said decisively. He looked over at Star. "It has some of the best security around. Wouldn't be easy for anyone to break in to try and get you or James."

Star hesitated, glancing Bruce's way. He wasn't sure why. Was she looking for his opinion on Tony's plan? "Sounds like a good idea to me."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Then let's go," Natasha said. She headed for the door, and Tony followed.

Steve hesitated a moment before going after them. He paused by the door and pulled Star's knife out of the wood. Star went rigid, all her focus on Steve. He turned to face her. "If you promise not to try and stab me again, you can have the knife back."

Star's eyes narrowed as she studied him. A heartbeat passed. "Fine."

It sounded begrudging, but Steve held the knife out to her anyway. She had to take a few steps towards him in order to get it. Bruce wasn't sure that arming her was a good idea, but when Steve turned around to leave the room Star didn't try to stab him.

 _Progress, I guess._

She put the knife away, but it wasn't until Steve stepped through the doorway that Star marginally relaxed.

 _Right. That's going to be an issue._

Bruce took a few steps towards her and spoke quietly. "Hey, it's going to be okay, Star."

She looked up at him, and her expression flickered. She was scared. Of the Company for sure, and probably of Steve too if she still thought he might work for the Company. Bruce wished there was something more that he could do to reassure her. It was going to take time though for her to really start trusting them.

She took a breath and her expression closed off as she just nodded. Bruce wondered if the Company had ever given Star permission to be afraid. He had a feeling the answer was no.

They left the office together, joining everyone else in the hallway. There were onlookers now, probably drawn by the ruckus and the fact that some in the crowd now obviously recognized them. Star's breathing hitched, and Bruce fought back a wince. The last thing someone who was stressed out and scared needed was a crowd of strangers staring at them.

Bruce placed a hand between her shoulder blades, hoping he wasn't making a mistake by touching her. Sometimes touch helped, and she hadn't objected back at the lab when it had looked like she was verging on a panic attack and he'd held her by the shoulders. Star didn't flinch or pull away, didn't even send him a dirty look, and since she'd been fairly open about letting him know when she didn't like something, Bruce hoped that meant she wasn't bothered.

Being a hospital, there thankfully weren't enough onlookers to impede them on their way out. As they walked, they quickly settled on how they were going to travel. Tony, Star, and James would ride with Bruce, and the other three would follow in their vehicle. Natasha, Clint, and Steve had actually traveled to the area in a SHIELD quinjet, so once they had what they needed for James, they could take that to the Tower.

Bruce wasn't looking forward to that flight. He felt like what Star needed right now was space, and the quinjet was going to give her the exact opposite. _Can't really be helped._

As they loaded up in the vehicles, Bruce passed James to Star in the backseat. "Hold onto him."

She took him and cradled him close. Tony settled in the front seat after getting his armor stashed in the trunk. As Bruce started the car, Star spoke up. "How did you know we're clones of Steven Rogers?"

Bruce glanced at her in the rear view mirror. He'd been expecting the question. "I figured it out because I already knew Steve. He's the only person to ever successfully become a super soldier. Once you said the Company's goal was to have super soldiers, and you told me about how you aged, it wasn't hard to put together. James being sick was another clue. Before he was a super soldier, Steve was pretty sickly himself."

"Is how we aged not normal?"

That question caught Bruce by surprise. She knew about being a clone, but didn't even know about how people actually aged?

"Not really," Tony said. "Your biological and chronological age are supposed to match."

Star was quiet, and Bruce took a second to glance back at her again. She was frowning. "But in that case, I would be as small as James."

Bruce could feel his temper rising at the reminder of just how young Star actually was - or should be, anyway. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. "Yes, you would be."

"That wouldn't be good," she said decisively. "This is better."

Bruce bit back what he wanted to say, because Star wouldn't understand it anyway. She didn't know enough to even understand what the Company had taken from her by forcing her rapid aging. In his peripheral vision, he could see Tony twitch.

Then Star was asking another question. "What makes you so sure that Steven Rogers isn't working for the Company?"

"Please," Tony said. "Steve would never work for them." He twisted in his seat to look back at her. "First of all, I can assure you that he would never approve of any situation involving child soldiers."

"Why not?"

Tony sputtered, for once at a loss for words.

"I was designed to be a soldier. I'm stronger and faster than any adult. Why do you keep acting like that's wrong?"

"Because it is!" Tony said. "You might be strong, but you're a kid! You're not supposed to fight people, or be a soldier, you're just supposed to be a _kid_!"

Star was silent for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was hesitant. "I'm not sure what that means."

Bruce concentrated on breathing. Steady breaths. Five seconds in, five seconds out.

Tony settled back in his seat. "That right there, Half Pint," he said, his voice tight and his words clipped. "That's how I know Steve has nothing to do with the Company."

* * *

"Huh," Clint said after Steve finished briefing him and Nat on the explanation Bruce had offered while the two of them were busy. "And I thought alien invasions was going to stay at the top of my 'weird stuff' list."

Steve silently agreed. He was still in shock at the news. _Clones. Of me_.

He'd known that the super soldier program had been continued - unsuccessfully - by various people. Even Bruce at one point had tried to recreate Dr. Erskine's work. In his wildest dreams though, it would never have occurred to Steve that someone might try to clone him, or that they might succeed.

"Either of you ever heard of anything like this Company?" Steve asked.

"Nope," Nat replied. "Wouldn't surprise me if that wasn't their real name though."

She was probably right. Giving a kid accurate information about an organization that obviously wished to remain a secret was probably a bad idea.

A kid. Star was just a kid. And they'd been raising her as a weapon. Steve didn't need to be told any details to know that much. Why else would someone want to create more super soldiers? Besides, he could tell from her brief attack that someone had been teaching her. Not enough to beat him, and likely not Clint or Nat either simply because they had so much more experience than her. But she was being trained as a weapon, because she was a clone of him, and the only reason she had run was because the Company had planned to kill James.

"The biggest question though," Clint said, "is how this Company – whoever they really are – managed to get enough DNA samples from you to try their cloning project in the first place?"

Nat glanced away from the road long enough to side-eye Steve. "Been donating blood recently?"

"Of course not," he said dismissively. Clint's question was a good one though, and the first answer that came to mind was one that made Steve distinctly uncomfortable. "The only people I can think of that would have consistent access to my DNA is SHIELD."

Biannual checkups were required for all SHIELD agents. Being a super soldier did not exempt Steve from them – though he'd tried to get out of them, because he didn't see the point in checkups when he literally couldn't get sick. Samples were always taken for testing. Blood, saliva, the whole nine yards. Steve had figured it was just standard protocol. What if it wasn't?

"I don't know," Clint said. "I mean, Fury has okay'd some questionable stuff for sure, but this seems like a bit much even for him."

"I agree," Nat said. "And even if he had initiated a cloning program, he certainly wouldn't have signed off on killing James."

Steve tended to agree with their assessment of Fury. While Fury made a lot of hard calls, Steve believed that the call to kill a child would be too far even for him. But if the cloning program wasn't sanctioned by SHIELD, then Steve could only see one other reasonable option for how the Company had gotten enough of his DNA to pull this off.

"Then SHIELD has a leak."

Nat drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. "More than one to pull this off, if you're right."

Clint let out a low whistle. "Fury is going to be ticked."

Fury wasn't the only one.

* * *

 **AN:** Hope everyone celebrating had a Happy Thanksgiving!


	7. Chapter 7

Star eyed the large building as they pulled into a parking lot. A steady stream of people flowed in and out of the two entrances, and the parking lot was crowded with all manner of vehicles. Star distrusted it on sight.

"Wal-Mart?" Tony asked.

"It has a pharmacy," Bruce said. "Also, car seats."

Bruce parked at the back of the parking lot where there were fewer cars, and the SUV carrying Steven Rogers and the other two with him – Star hadn't learned their names yet – pulled in beside them. Star scowled at it, her grip on James tightening just a bit. Bruce and Tony both claimed that Steven Rogers didn't work for the Company, but really, how would they know? They hadn't even known the Company existed before today.

Although if he _was_ working for the Company, his actions so far didn't make a lot of sense. He hadn't exactly tried to hurt her when she'd attacked him in the hospital. Hadn't even really tried to subdue her. He'd _returned_ her _weapon_ , which didn't make sense no matter how she looked at it.

 _If they're right…if he_ isn't _working for the Company, what then?_

She didn't have an answer. Star didn't have an answer for a lot of things right now.

Star slid over to the right side of the car and got out that door to avoid getting out beside the SUV. James stirred in her arms, apparently done napping again. _Is he supposed to sleep this much, or is it all because he's sick?_

The woman spoke as she rounded the front of the SUV. "We shouldn't all go in. We're too recognizable as a group."

"Well, I have to go in to fill James's prescription," Bruce said. "And Tony's coming, because uh, he's going to have to pay for everything." Tony didn't surprised by this statement.

"Everything?" the man whose name Star didn't know asked.

"James needs more than just his medicine," Bruce said. "We at least have to have a car seat for him. Probably some other stuff too."

The man quirked an eyebrow up at them. "Do either of know what kind of stuff a toddler needs?"

"Please, Clint, we're super geniuses," Tony said. "I'm sure we can figure it out."

Clint looked over at Steven Rogers and the woman. "I'm going in with them."

"You say this like you somehow know more about toddlers than we do," Tony said.

Clint ignored him, and the woman spoke again. "I guess that means Cap and I are staying here."

Bruce looked down at Star. "What about you? You can come in with us, or stay out here with Natasha and Steve."

Star hesitated for just a second and then passed James to Bruce. "You take James. I'll stay here."

He looked surprised. "You sure?"

"I'm sure," Star said. Between her and James, Star was the one that anyone working for the Company was more likely to recognize, so it was more important that she avoid the crowds. She was also mostly confident at this point that Bruce really did want to help James. Tony too, probably. Clint she was less sure of, but two against one seemed like decent odds if it came to that, and they were going to be in public, and apparently the Company was more secretive than she'd ever realized.

Besides, Steven Rogers was staying out here. Star wasn't quite ready to let him out of her sight yet.

The three that had elected to go shopping headed for the entrance, and Star leaned against Bruce's car, crossing her arms over her chest. An awkward silence descended. Star knew that Natasha and Steve were watching her, but she ignored them in favor of keeping an eye on the people in the parking lot. There were a surprising number of them. More surprising though was the number of them that were kids. Some looked to be about her age, some younger. She would never have guessed that there were so many of them.

"So, I'm curious," Natasha said. Star looked over at the woman, but didn't say anything. She apparently took this as an invitation to continue. "Did you actually have a plan for avoiding the Company?"

Star frowned, glancing away. The answer was no, though she didn't like to admit it. But there hadn't been time to plan. There hadn't even really been time to grab supplies even. The Company moved quickly when they finally made decisions. She'd had to grab James and run in order to keep him alive. Her focus had simply been on getting _away_ , and then on finding a doctor once James was sick.

"It's a work in progress," Star finally said. She'd figure it out. She didn't know how, because the world outside the compound was obviously a lot more complicated than the Company had ever seen fit to tell her. She'd figure something out though, because there wasn't any other option.

Pressure built behind Star's eyes, and she wobbled, placing a hand on the hood of the car for balance. _No, not now, not now!_

She noticed Steven Rogers taking a step towards her and snapped, "I'm fine!"

Steven Rogers paused, a frown tugging his mouth down as he eyed her. "How long has it been since you slept?"

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that he didn't know what he was talking about, but Star swallowed the words. Of course he knew what he was talking about. She was his clone; Steven Rogers would know all of her weaknesses.

"Six days," she grudgingly admitted. Not since she'd found out about James.

"You might want to lay down in the car," he suggested. "If you pass out while you're out here, people will notice."

"I'm not going to pass out." She wouldn't, she could keep going, it wasn't safe yet. But black spots were dancing across her vision, and her knees were starting to wobble.

"Sure you're not." He stepped forward and put an arm around her shoulders, and Star would have shoved him away if she'd thought she could do it without falling over. Steven Rogers guided her towards the backseat of the SUV and opened the door for her. "Go on."

There wasn't much point in protesting, because he was right. She'd pushed herself too long, and her body wasn't going to put up with it anymore. Star crawled into the backseat and curled up so he could close the door after her.

 _Bruce and Tony say he doesn't work for the Company._

Star really hoped they were right, because for a next few hours she was going to be helpless. She closed her eyes and let sleep drag her down.

* * *

"What was that about?" Nat asked once the car door was closed.

Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Side effect of the serum. I guess she…inherited it."

Nat tipped her head to the side and waited.

"I don't really get tired anymore. Don't need as much sleep either. A couple hours a week is plenty for me to function. But if I don't sleep at all for too long, well." He gestured towards the SUV. "That happens. My body sort of forces itself to shut down, like she just did. She'll probably be out of it for the next five or six hours."

"Hm," Nat said, "sounds like there's some stories in that experience."

Steve winced, because there were stories there, but not ones that he really felt like sharing. Dr. Erskine's death had left Steve flying blind figuring out some of the changes the serum had caused in him, and the change in his sleep was one that he'd had to figure out on his own. During that first week after, Steve had started to wonder if he'd never sleep again, since he never felt physically tired. Then he'd passed out from lack of sleep.

Of course it had happened more than once before he'd properly gotten a handle on it. The worst moment had been once when he'd been on a mission with the Howling Commandos. Luckily, they hadn't been in any action at the time, but setting up camp when he'd fallen over asleep. When he'd woken up later and the others had realized that he was okay, the incident had turned into a joke that none of them would let go, and the others made it an official part of Bucky's duties to make sure that Steve got some sleep.

Which had only been partly a joke. Had he passed out like that in the middle of a fight, it would have been a disaster.

But none of that was anything Steve felt like explaining to Nat. He ignored her question and said, "She's probably sleeping deep enough that we can get in without waking her up."

Nat didn't push, just walked around the car to the driver's seat while Steve settled in on the passenger side. He glanced back automatically, checking on Star. She was curled up on the seat, one arm tucked under her head as a pillow. Her expression in sleep was relaxed, peaceful. A marked difference from how she'd looked so far; when awake, her expression tended to veer between angry and shuttered, at least in his presence.

"How long do you think they'll be?" Steve asked when Nat was settled in her seat.

Nat snorted. "We sent Tony and Clint in there with only Bruce for supervision."

Steve winced. "You think they'll remember we have limited room to carry stuff?"

Her lips twitched up in a smile. "We'll see."

They fell silent then, though it was a companionable silence rather than an awkward one. Neither of them were the kind of people that felt the need to talk just for the sake of talking.

Steve found his gaze drifting back toward Star. It was still a difficult notion to wrap his head around, the idea that this girl and James were clones of him. _What'll happen to them now?_

Steve knew what he planned to do next. He was going to figure out who the Company was, who the leaks were in SHIELD, and he was going to stop them. He was ending this; no more experiments, and definitely no more child soldiers, or children that might be killed because they weren't _good enough_.

But none of that helped Star and James. What the two of them needed was, well...

A home.

The thought made Steve uncomfortable. Fury would probably be willing to arrange something for them, but what would that look like? James would likely be shuffled into foster care, and Star...

Steve closed his eyes. He agreed with Clint and Nat that Fury probably wouldn't have signed off on any cloning experiments. There was also no doubt in Steve's mind that Fury would be willing to take advantage of the situation since it had already happened. He could easily imagine SHIELD deciding to keep Star, and raising her to be an agent for them. That was far too similar to what the Company was doing to her for Steve's comfort.

 _Somehow I doubt Star would go for that plan. Or any plan that separates her from James._

Not after all the effort she'd gone through to rescue him. No, Steve was sure that any hint of plans to separate the two would result in Star running from them too.

 _So, what then?_

Steve really didn't have any idea.

Well, he had one idea. But it was crazy, and he dismissed the thought as soon as it crossed his mind.

"There they are," Nat said. It had taken them almost an hour to finish their shopping trip. They had restrained themselves to only one cart of stuff at least, but that one cart was packed full of items.

"What did they get?" Steve asked.

"One way to find out," Nat said, swinging her door open.

Steve got out of the car, and he could hear Clint and Tony having some kind of debate about Doritos of all things. Poor Bruce looked frazzled. A closer look at the cart revealed that many of the bags were filled with snacks.

"What's with all the food?" Steve asked.

Bruce sighed at the question. "Tony and Clint have joined forces to introduce Star to every conceivable kind of junk food." He glanced around. "Where is Star?"

"Sleeping," Steve said, nodding toward the SUV.

Clint raised an eyebrow. "She decided now was a good time for a nap?"

"Apparently she hasn't slept in six days," Nat said. "Sleeping now didn't really seem optional."

Bruce sputtered. "She hasn't-? Of course she hasn't. She hasn't been eating regularly, why would she sleep?" He shook his head. "Never mind. We need to get this stuff loaded up, and it isn't all going to fit in my car with Tony's suit in the trunk."

Steve and Nat helped load bags in the back of the SUV while the other three tried to figure out how to get the car seat set up in Bruce's car. Or at least, Bruce and Tony seemed to be trying. Clint was standing nearby offering unhelpful commentary.

It didn't take long to load up the bags, and once that was done there really wasn't anything left to distract Steve from studying James. He was currently settled in child seat on the cart, watching everything around him.

 _He's small._

Probably not the most insightful observation, but it was the first thought that came to mind. James was tiny, and scrawny. He looked like a strong gust of wind could blow him away.

 _If that's what I looked like, it's no wonder Mom was so overprotective._

Steve grimaced. His past wasn't something he often reflected on, but it was hard not to think about it when looking at James. _Why'd she name him James?_

"Got it!" Tony said, breaking Steve out of his thoughts. "There, it wasn't that hard."

Clint snorted. "Says the guy who just spent ten minutes getting the car seat in properly."

"That was not ten minutes!"

"Boys, please," Nat said. "We need to get going." She looked Clint's way. "With Star sleeping in the backseat, you'll have to ride with them."

"Do I have to get stuck with them longer?" Bruce grumbled as he got James out of the cart and moved him to the car seat.

"Might I remind you that you called us," Tony said.

"And it only took him finding out about a secret organization and clones to get him to call," Clint quipped. "I feel so loved."

If Bruce had a comment in mind, he kept it to himself and they loaded up in their respective vehicles to get to the quinjet. It took almost another hour to get to the small airfield where they had landed the quinjet. That was one of the downsides of these rural towns; everything was spread out, and it took forever to get anywhere.

They finally arrived though. When they parked, Nat said, "You'll get Star in the quinjet, right?" Then she was out of the car before Steve could actually answer her.

 _I guess I will._

She was awkwardly positioned for Steve to get her out, but with some careful maneuvering he managed. Star was still sleeping deeply. She didn't move or make a sound as Steve carried her to the quinjet and got her buckled into a seat. By the time he managed that, everyone else was on board, and everything they had bought was loaded. Clint took the pilot's seat, and soon the quinjet came alive with a familiar hum.

"Hey, Steve," Bruce said while digging through some of the Wal-Mart bags. "Did you ever have any food allergies?"

"No," Steve said.

"That makes this easier," Bruce said. "Hopefully I can get James to eat something then."

Steve glanced down at James, who was sitting on the ground beside Bruce. When he looked away, it was to find Nat watching him with an unreadable expression on her face, but she shifted her attention away from him after a moment to speak to Bruce.

"So," she said, "what information did you gather that you weren't able to share while Star was trying to kill Cap?"

"According to Star, the Company has the usual 'make the world a better place' goal, which probably means they're planning something terrible," Bruce answered. He'd found a box of cereal and some bananas, and was focused on getting James to try the food while he talked. "She did let a name slip. Dr. Miller. Not sure if that's the person in charge of the Company, or if they're just working with the cloning project though."

"With SHIELD resources, just a name should be plenty to track them down," Tony said.

"Yeah, about that," Clint said.

"By your tone I'm assuming we won't have access to SHIELD resources," Tony said. "Why won't we have access to SHIELD resources?"

Bruce's eyes narrowed. "Because SHIELD is the only one that would have access to the samples needed to even attempt cloning. Did SHIELD do this, or do they have a leak?"

Steve crossed his arms over his chest. "Our best guess right now is that it's a leak. The situation isn't really Fury's style."

"So we will be able to use SHIELD resources," Nat said. "We'll just have to be careful."

"Right," Tony said. "We'll be careful and hope that the double agent super spies that have so far been successfully spying on an agency full of super spies don't notice that we're on to them."

"Exactly!" Clint said, with far more cheer than the statement warranted.

* * *

 **AN:** I was doing research into the limits of what Steve can do for this fic, and that's how I ran into information I never knew about him. Apparently, he doesn't get tired and functions perfectly on minimal sleep (I'm not jealous or anything). I don't think the MCU has ever really utilized this ability of his, but I thought it would be a fun one to play with.


	8. Chapter 8

Star's eyes snapped open. Waking up after pushing herself so long was always an abrupt experience. There was no slow drift into awareness; one moment she was asleep, and the next she wasn't. It was disorienting, and she didn't like it.

Star sat up and looked around. She was alone in a dark room. Someone had removed her jacket and shoes before putting her to bed, and she quickly spotted both items and her bag on a chair in the corner of the room. The digital clock on the bedside table declared the time to be around midnight.

 _I guess we made it to the Tower._

She hoped that was the case. It certainly wasn't the compound. The room was too large and comfortable for that.

 _I need to find James._

She kicked the covers off and quickly crossed the room to her stuff. As she picked up the first shoe, a voice came from above her.

"Good evening, Miss Star."

She jerked around, but the room was still empty. "Who's there?"

"My apologies for startling you," the voice said. "I am JARVIS, an artificial intelligence created by Mr. Stark. One of my tasks is to assist guests at the Tower. Is there anything that I can help you with?"

Star paused a moment to absorb that information. She was at the Tower, which belonged to Tony, so Tony must be "Mr. Stark."

 _Wait, wasn't the place Bruce was working at called Stark Labs? Does that mean he works for Tony?_

The two didn't act like Tony was his boss. If anything, Star would have guessed that Bruce was in charge, since he had been the one to call Tony in. That was a mystery to solve at another time though. She had more pressing questions.

"Can you tell me where James is?" she asked as she pulled her shoes on.

"Mr. James is sleeping in the room across from this one."

"And where is everyone else?"

"Dr. Banner and Agents Barton and Romanoff have retired for the evening. Mr. Stark is in his workshop, and Captain Rogers is in the kitchen."

Her stomach rumbled at the mention of the kitchen. Star always woke up hungry, and she hadn't quite gotten to eat her fill before. Food wasn't her priority right now though.

She finished tying her shoes and left the room. The lights in the long hall were dim, but not low enough to make seeing difficult. Star crossed the hall and carefully opened the door, slipping into the room quietly. The room was similar in layout to the one she had woken up in. On the bed, Star could make out James's small form. She crossed silently to the bed to check on him. It was too dark to see if he was still flushed, but his breathing didn't sound as labored and his skin felt slightly cooler when she touched him. A tension she almost hadn't realized she was carrying left her as Star realized that he was doing better.

Star smiled down at him, and had to push back the unfamiliar urge to hug him. She didn't want to wake James up, but it was such a relief to see he was doing better.

 _I guess this means Bruce and Tony were right; Steven Rogers_ isn't _working for the Company._

If he had been working for the Company, then he'd just thrown away the best chance he was going to get for an easy retrieval. _If he isn't working for them, how'd they manage to make me and James then?_

Star rubbed at her temple. It seemed the longer she was away from the Company, the more questions she ended up having.

She left the room as quietly as she'd entered, and once back out in the hall Star glanced around. To the right the hall extended a ways before opening up into another area that she couldn't see well enough to identify the purpose of. To her left, the hall came to an end at a wide window providing a good view outside. When Star registered the view, it suddenly became hard to breathe.

She walked towards the window - though not too close, glass was fragile - and stared. Tony had said they were going to the Tower, but Star hadn't realized what that meant. The building was massive, higher off the ground than she had ever imagined that a building could be, and this tower wasn't the only one. She could see dozens of similar buildings out the window, dominating the skyline with their lights. Down on the ground Star could make out roads that were still filled with cars despite the hour. Buildings and roads on top of each other as far as she could see. All of which meant _people_. More people than she'd ever realized even existed.

"JARVIS," she said, and winced at the way her voice wobbled. Taking a breath, she tried again. "JARVIS, where are we?"

"In New York City, Miss Star."

She'd never heard of it. Never known that anything like this could possibly exist. The Company had never told her.

Star heard Bruce's question echo in her mind again. _"How isolated did they keep you?"_

Her heart rate sped up, and her breathing hitched. Why hadn't they told her about this place? Why hadn't they told her about _any_ place? Why hadn't they told her there were _so many_ people?

 _"You don't need to concern yourself with the outside. Just stay focused on your training. We'll get to the outside when we think you're ready."_

Dr. Miller's words felt like they were smothering her.

"Miss Star, are you unwell?"

She didn't answer JARVIS's question. She didn't know how. It seemed all she could do was stare out the window and think, _Whywhywhy?_

Footsteps approached from behind. "Star?"

At the sound of Steven Rogers's voice, it was like whatever held her at that window broke and Star gasped, almost stumbling over her feet in her haste to turn around. He was watching her with a frown. "What's wrong?"

 _"Never let them see you're scared."_

Star straightened her posture, forcing her expression into a semblance of calm. "Nothing. I'm fine."

He stared at her a moment, and Star could tell he didn't believe her. He glanced past her out the window, and suddenly something flickered through his expression. "Come on. I'm sure you're hungry."

Star felt like she'd lost her appetite, but was willing to jump at the chance to get away from the window. Steven Rogers turned and walked back down the hall, and she followed. Just as they reached the end of the hall, he said, "JARVIS, can you blackout the windows?"

"Certainly, Captain."

Star glanced around when they left the hall. It spilled into a large open room that seemed to be some kind of sitting area, which bled into a large kitchen. The wall opposite the kitchen was completely made up of glass, currently darkened so that she couldn't see the view outside. Which was a relief, because Star wasn't ready to stare out at the city again, not yet. Even so, she couldn't help the flush of embarrassment that Steven Rogers had so easily figured out what had upset her.

 _Dr. Miller wouldn't have blacked out the windows for me._

Star forced that thought way. She didn't want to think about Dr. Miller. She followed Steven Rogers to the kitchen and he motioned towards the stools lining the kitchen island. "Have a seat and I'll fix something."

As Star sat down, there was a soft ding and elevator doors that she hadn't registered earlier slid open. Tony stepped out of the elevator and glanced around for a moment before his gaze settled on her. "You okay, Half Pint?"

 _Why is he asking that?_

JARVIS. Had to be. When she hadn't answered the AI's questions, JARVIS must have told Steven Rogers and Tony that she seemed upset, which would explain why Steven Rogers had showed up when he did. "I'm fine," she snapped.

 _Great. Now I'm going to have to figure out how to avoid being monitored by this system too._

It was going to be tricky. So far she hadn't spotted anything that looked like a camera or sensor. But she'd figured out ways to avoid being monitored at the compound, Star was sure she could figure it out here too, given enough time.

"The view was a bit overwhelming," Steven Rogers said as he pulled items out of the fridge.

Star glared in his direction. Did he have to say that?

Tony claimed the stool next to her. "Never seen a city like New York before?"

"No," Star admitted stiffly. She traced a pattern over the cool counter top for a moment before adding, "I never left the compound before."

Tony looked like he was about to ask another question, but Star didn't want to think about the Company or Dr. Miller, and how much they had never told her. So she spoke over him, pretending she hadn't noticed he was about to talk. "What are you making?"

"Omelets," Steven Rogers said. He glanced over at Star. "If that's good with you?"

"Sure," she said, unwilling to admit that she didn't know what omelets were.

"Sounds good to me," Tony said.

Steven Rogers sent him a dry look. "I don't remember offering to make you any."

"Well it is my kitchen," Tony said. "It only seems fair, Cap."

Star frowned. Why did he get called so many different things? She'd heard people call him Cap, Capsicle, Steve, and Captain Rogers, but no one had used his actual name. Did he just not use his real name for some reason?

 _Bruce called him Steve, so I guess I can go with that._

"Star, what do you want in your omelet?"

She eyed the items that Steve had taken out of the fridge: eggs, bacon, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese. She still wasn't sure how these things were supposed to be combined. "Anything is fine." She always ate what she was given, regardless of the taste.

Tony looked over at her. "Do you know what an omelet is?"

Star hesitated, caught off guard by the question. She should have realized that Tony might figure it out though after she'd had to ask him about pizza and donuts. "No."

"Half Pint, if you don't know what something is, or what something means, just ask us. No one is going to get upset with you for asking questions."

They weren't? Dr. Miller always got annoyed if she asked too many questions. A few were okay, sometimes, but continuous questions tended to get her in trouble.

 _There has to be some kind of limit on the questions I can ask._ She didn't want to waste a question by voicing this one though. She'd figure it out.

"An omelet is cooked eggs with stuff inside, usually cheese, meat, and some kind of vegetables," Steve said.

Star eyed the items on the counter with renewed interest. She didn't dislike any of them, though she wasn't sure how the flavors would combine. Her stomach growled, and she decided that the more food in her omelet, the better. "All of it is good."

"I'll take cheese and bacon," Tony said. Steve shot him a look, but didn't say anything.

Silence fell as Steve began dicing the vegetables. _I hope it doesn't take long to fix._

Tony swiveled off his stool. "Coffee sounds like a good idea."

Star wrinkled her nose at the thought. Coffee at least was something that she was familiar with. Most people at the compound drank it. She'd tried it once, but had found it far too bitter for her liking, and she hadn't noticed any of the extra energy that people said it supposedly provided. Though that may be because she didn't really get tired anyway.

As he fixed the coffee, Tony spoke to her over his shoulder. "If you want anything to drink out of the fridge, Half Pint, help yourself."

Now that he mentioned it, she was thirsty. Star hopped off her stool and went to the fridge. At this point, she wasn't really surprised to find many of the items were unfamiliar to her, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from choosing something.

 _This is the first time I've ever chosen my own food._

At the Company, her meals were simply provided, with a focus on the specific amount of nutrition she needed. No one bothered to ask what she liked, or what she wanted. Her opinions weren't relevant.

She spotted a container labeled "apple juice" and though Star had never had juice before, she had had apples, and she knew she liked those. She claimed the container, and Tony motioned to one of the cabinets. "Cups are up there." Star went to the cabinet he indicated, held back a sigh when she saw all the cups were glass. Star hated glass. If she ever accidentally broke something, it was almost guaranteed to be something made of glass. She picked a cup delicately, poured her drink, and retreated back to her stool.

Tony poured two mugs of coffee, keeping one for himself and handing the other to Steve. He leaned against the counter instead of sitting back down and blew on the coffee before taking a sip. After a moment of silence, Tony spoke up. "So, Star, what went on at the compound you were at?"

His tone was mild, as though the question was merely prompted by curiosity. Star wasn't sure why he bothered with the affected casualness. He'd already made it abundantly clear that he didn't like the Company. So had Bruce; he'd even gone so far as to say he wanted to _stop_ the Company, and he'd called everyone else in because he believed they'd help him. It was probably safe to assume at this point that he was right.

So the question was anything but casual. He was probably trying to ease in to gaining information that they could use to help them stop the Company, whatever stopping the Company meant to them. Star wasn't sure how they defined it. She didn't know if she wanted to ask.

Star forced her hands to remain loose around her cup. She'd have to tell them something. She needed them right now, while James was sick. Until he was really better, and she could figure out a plan to take care of him, Star would have to go along with whatever Bruce's people wanted.

"The people at the compound were responsible for creating super soldiers for the Company," Star said. "They called it Project Stars and Stripes."

Steve tensed at the name, pausing for just a second before he kept fixing the omelet. Star eyed him for a moment, unsure how to interpret the reaction. But he didn't say anything, so Star kept going. "Dr. Miller runs the compound. But she reports to someone else in the Company. I don't know who."

"The Company is widespread then?" Tony asked.

Star hesitated. "I don't know." She'd thought so, before she'd met Bruce and the others. She'd thought the Company was everywhere. But none of them had ever heard of the Company before, and she wasn't sure if that was just because the Company was more secretive than she had previously realized, or if they had lied about their reach and influence. "I only really know what happens at the compound they kept me at."

She took a sip of her juice, watching Steve as he poured eggs onto a frying pan. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation.

"Then what went on at the compound you were at?" Tony asked. "Research? Experiments?"

Star tore her gaze away from the food to look at Tony. "Yeah. Most of the compound was dedicated to that. The rest was training and testing me."

Steve looked at her over his shoulder. "Testing?"

She took another sip of her drink. She didn't want to talk about the testing. The training hadn't been bad. Some of it she had enjoyed. Testing was different. Tests were designed to figure out her limits. Star understood the necessity. Knowing her limits, her weaknesses, it was important, but it didn't make the tests any less unpleasant, and she didn't want to talk about them.

But Steve had asked, and she had to say something. "Yeah. Just figuring out what I could do." She shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "Is the food almost ready?" she asked before either of them could ask a more detailed question.

Steve switched his attention back to the food he was cooking. "Almost."

Tony poured himself a second cup of coffee. "If the Company managed to succeed in making you a super soldier, how come it didn't work for JJ?"

It took Star a moment to realize that by JJ, Tony meant James. "I don't think they know how they made me. There was some kind of lab accident. None of the files I looked at explained exactly what happened. James is the first clone since me that's been able to survive more than a few minutes."

Tony winced and glanced over at Steve. Star followed his gaze. _He's angry_. She recognized the look on Steve's face. She'd seen the same look in the mirror before, when she was angry about things she couldn't change. _What's he angry about?_ Was he upset to hear that failed clones hadn't been able to survive? That the Company had been cloning him without his knowledge? Or was he angry that clones of him existed at all?

Star let go of her glass, pressed her palms flat against the counter. Just because he didn't work for the Company didn't mean that he was safe.

"Tony, get me a plate," Steve said. His words were clipped, though he looked calmer now than he had a moment ago. Tony did as he said, and Steve got the omelet on the plate. Even though she was tense, Star's mouth still watered when he set the food down in front of her.

"Thanks," she said before turning most of her focus to the food. She eagerly took a bite, and she wasn't disappointed. _This is better than pizza._

"Well, I think that's enough of us asking you questions for now," Tony said.

Star was relieved to hear it.

"Instead, it's time for us to teach you some things," he said with a grin. "Some basics about the world; we'll start big and work our way down. Ever seen a globe before?"

Her mouth was too full of food for her to talk, so Star just shook her head. Tony's grin widened as he set his cup down on the counter. "Then, Half Pint, you're going to like this. JARVIS, hologram please."

* * *

Dr. Leslie Miller had not gotten to where she was by being stupid. She understood who she worked for, and what Hydra was like. The moment she had received the report that Star had eliminated the team sent to retrieve her, Leslie had known her days were numbered. Hydra did not suffer mistakes on this level.

So Leslie had stalled for three days before calling Pierce, ensuring that the backups and failsafes she had been working on for the past several years were ready. There was no doubt in her mind that when she called him the clock would start ticking for her. He would begin searching for a replacement immediately, though he would find the task more difficult than he perhaps expected. No one knew as much about cloning as Dr. Leslie Miller.

It was a matter of hours before she heard that Pierce was going to use the Winter Soldier to retrieve Star, and less time after that before she got the report that Star had been found, but that the situation had become complicated.

Somehow, against all odds, Star had ended up with Dr. Bruce Banner. It wasn't likely to take someone with his level of intellect and knowledge long to realize just what Star and that failed experiment were. With that one report, Leslie's already narrow window of time became much smaller. If she wanted to save her own life, she needed to act quickly.

The compound was never totally quiet, but Leslie had lived there long enough to be intimately familiar with its routine. The early morning hours saw the fewest people going about, and those security people that were up wouldn't dare interrupt her as she marched down the hall with firm strides. They might wonder where she was going at this hour of the morning, or what was in her leather duffle bag, but they wouldn't stop her.

Not unless Pierce had already passed down the order to kill her.

A pair of security personnel rounded the corner of the hall. Leslie kept her head high and eyes straight ahead. The pair glanced her way, but didn't attempt to interact beyond a nod of acknowledgement. Leslie kept going, feeling a margin of relief when she didn't see anyone else on her way to the compound's small landing pad. Leslie picked up her pace slightly as she got closer to the helicopter. Time was short now, and she couldn't afford for anything to slow her down.

She climbed into the pilot's seat, and slipped the helicopter's headset on. _And Mother tried to say that learning to fly a helicopter would never be useful_. Of course, her mother would never have imagined that one day Leslie would have to run from an organization like Hydra.

 _It won't be for long._

The helicopter rumbled to life, and Leslie was in the air flying away before anyone could come investigate. It wasn't long before a voice came over the headset, demanding to know who had taken the helicopter unauthorized. She ignored them. Their demands would be irrelevant in about forty-five seconds.

When it happened, it was with a rumble that Leslie could hear even over the sound of the helicopter. She looked back, watched as the building fell in on itself. _Pierce is going to be furious._

It was necessary though. The loss of the compound and everything in it would make continuing Project Stars and Stripes more difficult, though not impossible as long as Leslie was the one spearheading the effort. The project would be set back only as long as it took to provide a new facility. If Pierce recruited someone new to run the project, they would be starting from scratch. Project Stars and Stripes would likely never recover.

Leslie allowed herself a grim smile. If Pierce wanted the project to continue - and he would, the project had too much promise to scrap it - then he would have to keep Leslie alive to do it. She didn't expect him to realize this right away, but the truth would inevitably make itself known. Until then, Leslie had other plans.

The last report that she had received had informed her that Dr. Banner had called in the other Avengers, and that Star had left with them. They hadn't gone to a SHIELD base, which left one likely location: Avengers Tower.

Leslie planned to retrieve Star herself.


	9. Chapter 9

Clint had a fairly high bar for the amount of stuff that had to go wrong before he started to worry. Getting stressed easily wasn't exactly a helpful personality trait when working at a place like SHIELD. So it unnerved him a little, how quickly this particular situation had begun to worry him.

Natasha was worried too. Not in a way that most people would notice, but Clint knew her better than anyone else. For something this big to go on without Fury having any idea, they were looking at more than a simple leak. More than just one or two agents going rogue. For something like this, the problem had to go high, which was why they hadn't made their full report to Fury yet. They'd sent him a message the night before that he'd need to contact them through a secure, non-SHIELD channel, and now they were waiting in Natasha's room for a response.

The hole in SHIELD wasn't the only thing bothering Clint though. He leaned back against the headboard of her bed, watching Natasha who was curled up in the oversized armchair on the opposite side of the room. "Penny for your thoughts," he said.

Natasha cut her eyes at him, arching one brow. "Cheapskate. My thoughts are worth more than that."

"Yeah, but I'm broke."

Her mouth quirked up a little, and Clint congratulated himself on making her smile. Especially since he knew his next question was going to make that smile vanish. "Nat. Are you going to be okay?"

She stared at him coolly, and Clint held her gaze. He knew more about her past than anyone else. He knew how much of it still haunted her at times. This situation with the Company and Star was in many ways different from what she'd been through, but it was similar enough that Clint didn't doubt it was bringing back memories. Clint let the silence stretch out, waiting.

"I'll live." She stood from the chair, stretching out. "I'll feel better once we've fixed this mess."

Clint let it go at that. He'd keep watching though. Natasha wasn't good at asking for help, but he was good at noticing she needed it when he was paying attention.

There was a soft chime, alerting them to the fact that JARVIS had just activated in the room. "My apologies for interrupting," JARVIS said, "but I believe the two of you have a visitor. Director Fury is in the elevator."

Natasha and Clint shared a surprised look. When they'd sent the message to Fury about needing to speak securely, they hadn't expected him to show up in person. _I guess you can't get any more secure than that though._

"Thanks, JARVIS," Clint said, hopping up off the bed.

They left the room and made their way to the common area. Clint's brows rose at the sight that greeted them. The windows were all blacked out, and Tony was passed out on the couch, while Star and Steve sat on the floor surrounded by books. A quick glance at the titles showed that the topics ranged widely: astronomy, economics, geology, civics, history. Clearly there had been some sort of overnight tutoring lesson.

"Huh. I always took Tony for an ebook sort of person."

"He mostly is," Steve said, closing the book in his hands.

"Fury is on his way up," Natasha said as she made her way into the kitchen for the coffee pot.

Steve pushed himself to his feet. "We'd better wake Tony then."

For half a second, Clint entertained the thought of all the amusing ways they could wake Tony, including the possibility of allowing Fury's arrival to wake him. Sadly, before he could suggest any of it Steve was casually shaking his shoulder.

 _Probably just as well,_ he thought, letting his gaze drift towards Star. _Not sure if she knows what jokes are._ She was slowly closing the book in her lap, watching all of them, her expression pensive. Probably wondering who Fury was. _Well, kid, you're about to find out._

The elevator dinged right about the time Tony sat up, and the doors slid open to allow Fury to enter the room. He turned his head, taking in the room, his gaze lingering for a moment on Star. For her part, Star had gone very still, watching Fury in turn. Clint kept an eye on her. She'd already shown that she was willing to attack first and ask questions later if she felt threatened, and they didn't really need a repeat of the incident at the hospital.

Though the mental image he suddenly had of Star throwing a lamp at _Fury's_ head was pretty funny.

"Coffee, director?" Natasha offered.

"Sure," Fury said.

She pulled two mugs from the cabinet as the coffee began to drip in the pot. _Dang. I'm going to have to get my own cup._

Tony squinted in Fury's direction. He looked as though he hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep the night before. "What are you doing here so early, Fury?"

"Well, it isn't often that I receive a message requesting a conversation through secure, non-SHIELD channels," Fury said. "It's the sort of request that gets my attention."

Natasha brought him a cup of coffee, which he accepted with a nod of thanks. His gaze traveled back to Star, probably wondering who she was and why she was there. "The kid's going to have to stay for this conversation." Clint walked over to the kitchen to get his own cup of coffee, since Natasha apparently didn't feel like being a kind enough friend to bring him one. "She's a big part of it."

"And who are you?" Fury asked her.

Star looked up at him, a challenge in her gaze. "Star. Who are you?"

"Director Fury runs SHIELD, the agency that Clint, Natasha, and I work for," Steve said. "He's going to help us deal with the Company." He looked at Fury. "Star is…she's a clone. Of me."

Clint could see the gears turning in Fury's mind, assessing and realizing the same things that they had the day before. "I think I may want to sit for this debriefing."

Fury settled in an armchair, and Natasha began bringing him up to speed. Clint sipped his coffee and watched Star. _She's still tense._ And with good reason. It wasn't like she knew what SHIELD really was, and she was relying on the word of near strangers that they were going to help.

Fury was silent when Natasha's spiel came to an end, studying Star. She stared back at him, chin raised in quiet defiance. _Kid's got a good poker face._

He set aside his coffee cup and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "How much do you know about the experiments the Company was running?"

"Only some," Star said. "I wasn't supposed to know they were going on."

 _Interesting._ That meant Star had been purposefully looking into things that the Company had told her were off limits. Of course, she was a kid. It wasn't exactly unusual for kids to do the exact opposite of what the adults around them wanted.

"Any idea how the Company was getting the samples they needed to run their experiments?" Fury asked.

Star pursed her mouth, her eyes darting for a moment to the hall before going back to Fury. "Deliveries came to the compound every two weeks; they brought everything the compound needed to run. Every once and a while Dr. Miller would have to sign for a delivery. I'd guess that's when they brought the samples."

It was an answer, but it wasn't exactly an answer to the question that Fury had actually asked. "Hey, kid, if you don't know the answer, that's fine. You're not going to get in trouble for not knowing something."

Clint saw the surprise and unease that flickered across her face before she hid it. "Barton's right," Fury said. "I'd rather you be straightforward with us."

After a moment's hesitation, Star said, "I don't know anything about what the Company did outside of the compound."

There was the sound of a door opening, and Bruce shuffled into the room still looking half asleep. He paused and blinked at the sight of them. Star leaned forward just a bit before she caught herself and settled back in her previous position. _Huh. If she had a little less self-control, I think she'd have run to him just then. Wonder if he knows he's her security blanket._

Bruce ran a hand over his face. "Please tell me you're not interrogating a kid right now."

"I'd hardly call it an interrogation, Dr. Banner," Fury said, leaning back in his seat.

"He's playing nice," Tony added.

Tony's words seemed to reassure Bruce more than Fury's did, but that didn't stop Bruce from looking over at Star and asking, "You okay?"

Star nodded. "I'm okay."

It wasn't until Star said that that Bruce headed for the kitchen and the coffee pot. Fury reached inside his coat and pulled out a tablet. "Just one more question." He tapped the screen, though from his angle Clint couldn't see what was on it. "Ever seen this place?"

Fury held the tabled out for her, and Star took it. She stared at the screen for a moment, her brows drawn, and then her eyes went wide and the blood drained from her face. There was a sharp crack as the screen busted under her grip.

Tony was the closest to her, and he was immediately off the couch and kneeling down beside her, tugging the tablet from her hands. "Geez, Half Pint, be careful. Did you cut yourself?"

Bruce hastily set his mug down and rushed over. Star was still pale, but she must not have injured herself, because neither of them called for a first aid kit. Clint glanced at the others. Steve was standing by the couch, watching but unmoving. Natasha, to Clint's surprise, was watching Steve.

"What did you show her?" Bruce demanded.

Fury laced his fingers together. "What did I show you, Star?"

"That – that was – it was the compound," Star said. "But it was _destroyed._ How…?"

 _Wait, what?_

"According to our files, that was facility SHIELD acquired three years ago, and that we never used," Fury said. "One that was destroyed early this morning by a person or persons unknown."

 _That's…that's a lot more than just a hole in SHIELD._

"Are you saying," Steve said, his voice as quietly angry as Clint had ever heard it, "that SHIELD did this?"

"No," Fury said. He stood from his chair. "I did not and would not approve of any sort of cloning experiment. This was not SHIELD."

"Then what?" Tony snapped, straightening from his spot beside Star. "Are you saying there isn't just a couple traitors in SHIELD? That's there's another, entirely different secret organization hidden inside SHIELD?"

Fury didn't say anything, which was really answer enough.

"You've got to be kidding me." Tony shook his head. "That's insane."

Clint looked down at Star. She wasn't so pale anymore, but she was _still,_ more than any kid should be. Bruce put a hand on her shoulder and her fingers twitched, but otherwise she didn't move.

"I don't disagree with you," Fury said. "But this wasn't done by SHIELD."

"No, just SHIELD resources," Tony said. "While you didn't notice."

"Well now I have," Fury said. "And I'm going to find the motherf-"

"Language!"

Everyone froze. Fury slowly turned his head to stare at Steve. He winced and gestured towards Star. "She a kid. You can't just say that."

Clint couldn't hold back his snort of laughter. "Tony, tell me JARVIS is recording this conversation. Please. I've been looking for a new ringtone, and that moment right there, that's it."

Tony shook his head, but Clint's joke had the desired effect. The tension that had been building in the room was effectively broken.

JARVIS's voice came through the speakers. "My apologies for the interruption, but Dr. Banner wished to be informed when Mr. James woke." Star bolted for the hall.

Bruce stood and waved a hand. "I'm just going to, um, get the kid."

Once they were gone, Fury turned his attention back to the rest of them. "Until I know how deep the Company has gotten into SHIELD, the list of people I can trust is much shorter than usual. I'm going to work from my end, but I'll need all of you to investigate this compound and see what you can find."

"Bruce and Cap should stay here," Natasha said.

Steve looked at her sharply. "What?"

Natasha shrugged, her face all innocence. "Someone has to babysit."

He glared at her, and Clint held up a hand to pacify him. "Look, she's right. Not about the babysitting thing, but you staying." He lowered his voice, trying to make sure that Star wouldn't overhear. "I'm pretty sure she's going to try and run, and Bruce can't exactly stop her. Not unless he can manage to talk her out of it."

"Run?" Steve questioned.

"She just found out the Company – which wanted to kill James – is embedded in SHIELD," Clint said dryly. "She's going to run."

Steve grimaced, but nodded. _Why didn't Nat just say that instead of making the babysitting crack?_

Bruce and Star returned, James in tow. They were letting James walk for once, and it was good to see that he could, even if his steps were a bit wobbly. _Give him a couple days and I bet he'll be running around._

James spotted their group and changed course to head for them. He went a little faster than he was ready for and would have gone tumbling over but he managed to balance himself by grabbing on to Clint's pant leg. "Hey, buddy," Clint said. James looked up at him and smiled. Clint couldn't help but smile back; smiling at little kids was a reflex at this point.

"We'd better get going," Natasha said.

"Going?" Bruce asked. "Going where?"

"The three of us are going to investigate the compound," Natasha said, gesturing at herself, Tony, and Clint. "Director Fury is heading back to the base. You and Cap are staying with the kids."

Bruce nodded. Star frowned, but didn't say anything. Clint glanced back down at James. Apparently he'd decided he was content to watch from his current position, because he hadn't let go of Clint's leg yet. _Don't think I can move without knocking him over._ Clint leaned down and scooped James up. Inspiration struck, and he turned and deposited James in Steve's arms, biting back a smile at the expression of startled alarm on Steve's face. "I'll just give you this little guy."

He hoped Steve had the same thought that he had. Star might be looking at running, but she wasn't likely to go anywhere without James. As long as Steve or Bruce had James, she'd have a hard time getting away from them. Clint couldn't tell if Steve understood, but he held James close.

"Okay then, let's go."

Tony elected to ride in the quinjet with Clint and Natasha rather than flying in his armor. Clint waited until they were in the air and on their way to bring up the question he'd been wanting to ask.

"So, Nat, you going to share your plans anytime soon?"

Natasha barely glanced at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Clint snorted. "Yeah, that's not going to work on me."

Tony wandered up front. "Should I be aware of these plans?"

"Pretty sure they have something to do with Steve and the kids, so you might be interested," Clint said.

Tony leaned on the back of Clint's seat. "Yeah, I'd say I'm interested in that."

Natasha sighed. "It's nothing bad. I just think the kids could be the key to fixing the problem with Steve."

Clint groaned. "Nat, no. They're kids, we can't just use them like that."

"Wait, I missed something," Tony said. "What's the problem with Steve?"

"He's been having a hard time adjusting to this decade," Natasha said.

 _That's one way of putting it._

"He seems fine to me," Tony said.

"Yeah, well, you haven't been on any missions him since New York," Clint said.

"Okay, if people could stop making these vague, leading statements and just explain stuff for once, that'd be great," Tony said.

"It's not that simple to explain," Clint said.

"I'm a smart guy," Tony said dryly.

 _Steve probably won't appreciate us even having this conversation._ Though it couldn't hurt to appraise Tony of the situation; Steve's list of friends was pretty short after all. Besides, if they didn't have this conversation, who would?

"In a lot of ways, you're right about him," Clint said. "He can function just fine. He's figured out technology, he's mostly caught up on the history he's missed. He functions."

"I'm not seeing the problem with any of that," Tony said.

"Functioning isn't the same thing as living," Natasha said. Tony was quiet. Natasha turned in her seat to look up at him. "Did you know that the Avengers are the only friends he has? He's learned about this decade, but he hasn't connected with anyone in it."

"What are you saying, you think Steve's depressed or something?"

Clint shook his head. "I'm not a therapist; I try to avoid diagnosing people. But Steve has a pattern I've seen before on other agents. He believes in the mission enough to go out, but he doesn't have a reason to make sure that he comes home. It makes him reckless. He takes unnecessary risks. Nothing that would put his team at risk, but he puts himself in riskier situations than he should." Which was why Steve was never given solo missions. He showed some restraint at least when he knew others were relying on him.

Clint shifted his attention to Natasha for a moment. "We can't just try and use Star and James to give Steve a reason, Nat. They're kids."

Natasha didn't flinch as she met his gaze. "That's why it'll work."

Clint grimaced and looked forward out the window. He didn't like it, but Natasha had a point. Assuming Steve got attached to them of course. Knowing there were kids at home waiting for you was a pretty good motivation to _get_ home. Still, that didn't mean Natasha's idea wasn't problematic.

"Yeah, I can think of several ways that plan could go wrong, and all of them are at the kids' expense," Tony said. "It's not their job to make sure Steve is okay."

"My plan is their best shot at a normal life," Natasha said, a testy edge to her voice.

"I'm not following that one," Clint said.

"Have either of you thought about what's going to happen to them after the situation with the Company is handled?" she asked.

Clint was quiet, because he hadn't given it any thought. He'd been more focused on what was going on right now. It was a question worth considering though.

"James will probably get shuffled into foster care, but Star is a successful super soldier," Natasha said. "Do you really believe that the council is just going to let her go?"

Tony cursed, and Clint found himself agreeing with the sentiment. He could already think of the reasoning the council would likely use to justify SHIELD claiming custody of Star.

 _She's a super soldier that's been raised as a weapon; she won't know how to function in society. She could even pose a danger without proper supervision. Besides, she has nowhere else to go. No family to claim her._

Star didn't need to be raised by SHIELD. So what if she was a super soldier and the result of a cloning experiment? She was a _kid,_ and she deserved the opportunity to be a kid. Steve would be her best defense for that. He had experience reintegrating into society. He could teach her about her abilities better than anyone else. He was the only person who could possibly claim to be family.

"This could still go wrong," Tony said.

"So could a lot of things," Natasha said. "This is the best option."

The best option. Assuming everything worked out. Assuming Steve decided that he wanted Star and James. Assuming he was willing to take this on. Assuming he didn't decide that someone else would be a better option.

It was a lot of assumptions to base the future of two kids on.

"I just have one more question," Clint said. "Who is going to explain this to Steve?"

* * *

 **AN:** Just a quick heads up, with Christmas this close, my schedule is getting crazier than usual, so more than likely I won't be doing weekly updates for a while. Also, Merry Christmas for anyone celebrating!


	10. Chapter 10

The next few moments were a flurry of activity as Director Fury, Tony, Clint, and Natasha left. In spite of the flurry, Star kept her focus on Steve and James. Seeing him with James set her on edge. Maybe it shouldn't; he hadn't done anything even vaguely threatening. He'd actually proven to be helpful so far. Star had learned more about the world in the few hours with him and Tony than the Company had seen fit to teach her ever. But the group he worked for had been infiltrated by the Company, and James was incapable of protecting himself.

He looked so small in Steve's arms.

Star's feet moved, and she found herself standing in front of Steve. "I can take him," she said, reaching out for James.

Steve looked down at her, and an expression she didn't have time to place flickered across his face. He shifted back, keeping James out of her reach. "I don't mind holding him."

She froze a moment before slowly lowering her hands to her side. Star hadn't expected that response, and she didn't know how to argue with it.

"Star, do you mind getting James something to drink?" Bruce asked. She glanced his way and saw he was heading for the pantry. "We need to go ahead and get him something to eat so I can give him his medicine. His sippy cup is by the sink."

She was reluctant to walk away from James, but she chided herself for the feeling. Nothing was going to happen to him just because she walked across the room. She got the blue plastic cup Bruce had indicated. She hesitated for just a second, because Bruce hadn't said what kind of drink to get James. She wasn't sure if there were restrictions on what sick people could drink, so she decided to fill the cup with water.

As she turned the tap on, she could hear James beginning to fuss. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw that he'd started squirming in Steve's hold. For a second, Steve looked uncertain. Then he set James down, and Star's heartrate picked up because James was out of her line of sight, hidden by the kitchen island. She turned the water off and twisted the lid on the sippy cup, turning on her heel to move towards him, but there he came around the corner of the island, a smile lighting up his face when he caught sight of her. Star kept her face blank, held back the urge to snatch him up, well aware that she was being watched.

 _Stupid. Just because I can't see him for two seconds doesn't mean he's going to disappear or something._

Unbidden, the picture Director Fury had showed her of the compound flashed through her mind, with its shattered windows and blackened, crumbled walls. She pushed the image away, refocused on James, who was reaching for the cup with sounds of eager demand. Star held it out to him, and as soon as he had it James plopped down on the floor to sip the drink.

"Oatmeal should work," Bruce mumbled, setting a box on the counter. Star was fairly certain he was talking to himself, but she glanced his way anyway. He opened a cabinet and reached for a bowl, then paused and looked over his shoulder at her. "Star, do you want some?"

"I'm not hungry," she said. Bruce frowned at her response and looked over at Steve.

"We had an early morning breakfast," Steve said.

Bruce nodded and went back to prepping the oatmeal for James while Star glared at the back of his head with a vague sense of annoyance. _He didn't have to double check._ So she'd skipped some meals right before they'd met; that was under extenuating circumstances. It wasn't like she was going to refuse to eat now, when food was readily available.

 _Why does he even care if I eat consistently?_

Dr. Miller had cared about Star eating, and Star knew exactly why. She was supposed to be a super soldier for the Company. She wouldn't be useful if she was malnourished. That reasoning didn't apply here though. Bruce – and Tony for that matter – had made it abundantly clear that they didn't think she should be fighting at all. Bruce's people – SHIELD she supposed – _did_ want information from her, but still.

They didn't need to make sure she was well fed to get information from her, or go out of their way to introduce her to new foods. They didn't have to teach her things. Didn't have to ask if she was okay when other members of their organization were trying to get information from her. Didn't need to check her for what would have been minor cuts if she'd accidentally hurt herself when her control slipped and she'd broken that tablet.

"Why do you care?"

The words slipped out before Star could think them through, and her heartrate ticked up as both men went still. They exchanged a look that Star couldn't read, but neither immediately spoke up to answer her question. Bruce put the bowl of oatmeal in the microwave and set the time before turning to face her. "About you eating?"

Star glanced between them. They didn't seem upset over her question, just serious. She still had to swallow before answering. "Yeah. Or – or if I hurt myself earlier. Or any of it."

Steve shifted, and Star's gaze snapped over to him, but he just settled down on one of the stools and rested his elbows on the counter, lacing his fingers together. It wasn't a pose that he'd be able to move quickly from, and Star felt some of the tension drain from her.

"Why shouldn't we care?" Steve asked.

Star blinked. What kind of question was that? Wasn't it obvious? They were waiting though, as if they actually wanted her to answer. "Because you wanted information about the Company. My information isn't useful anymore." She'd only known about what happened at the compound she'd been raised at, and the compound was gone.

The microwave beeped, and Bruce turned to get the oatmeal out. "I know this will probably come as a shock to you Star, but adults are supposed to take care of kids whether or not the kids are useful."

She flinched at the word _useful_ , her mind jumping back to the conversation they'd had in the car on the way to the hospital. She'd been able to put into words then that hurting James just because he wasn't useful would be wrong. It hadn't occurred to Star that the same logic ought to apply to her; that it was _wrong_ for someone hurt her, or abandon her, just because she wasn't useful.

Star felt lightheaded, and it took real effort not to reach out and brace herself against the kitchen counter.

"Star," Steve said, and she focused in on him. His voice was quiet, almost gentle. "We're not going to leave you and James to fend for yourselves. Until the situation with the Company is resolved, you're going to stay here and we're going to take care of you. You don't need to do anything to earn that, okay?"

Her mind latched onto the qualifier in his statement, because the idea of their help having an end date was the only part that really made sense. "What about after?"

Steve hesitated, glancing away from her. "I don't know." He looked at her again and said, "But whatever happens, we won't leave you on your own. We'll make sure both of you are taken care of. I promise."

She didn't know what to say, so Star kept quiet. It was hard to wrap her head around the idea that they were just going to help her because they felt like they were supposed to. That doing anything else would be wrong.

 _Isn't that why I helped James?_

She looked down at him. He was still sitting on the floor, content with his sippy cup. James noticed her stare and paused to smile up at her, with that expression that somehow managed to make her feel lighter.

James wasn't capable of doing anything for her. He was just there. She'd put herself at risk to save him simply because _not_ doing it would have been unthinkable.

If she could choose that, then why couldn't someone else?

She looked back up at Steve and Bruce. "Okay." Unless they gave her a reason not to, she would choose to trust them.

"Well," Bruce said, "now that that's settled, it's time to get this little guy some food." He stepped forward and picked James up. James waved his sippy cup in protest, almost managing to hit Bruce in the face. "This'll be fun."

He carried James and the food over to the island, and Star shifted, at a loss as to what she should be doing now. She was used to having a set schedule, and knowing exactly what was coming next.

"This is probably going to take a while," Bruce said. He settled James in his lap and the bowl of oatmeal on the island. "There's a bathroom connected to your room if you want to shower or something."

Probably a good idea. She hadn't had a chance to shower since she'd run from the compound.

"Do you have anything to change into?" Steve asked.

Star shook her head. "Didn't have time to grab much before I left."

Could she have made time to get _something_ , if she'd known what was coming?

Bruce winced. "I'm sorry, Star. I should have thought to ask if you needed anything while we were at Wal-Mart. Maybe we can go somewhere – "

Steve was already shaking his head. "Too much risk. We know the Company is looking for Star, and they've managed to infiltrate SHIELD. Until we have a better handle on the situation, the kids don't need to leave the Tower."

"Well she has to have something to wear," Bruce said. He tugged at the sippy cup in James's hands, but James held on tight, unwilling to relinquish it.

Steve paused for a moment and then said, "After James is taken care of, you could go somewhere and get something. I'll stay here with the kids." Steve stood and looked down at Star. "I can loan you something until Bruce gets back."

Bruce paused in his attempts to get the sippy cup from James. "Won't that be a bit big on her?"

Steve shrugged. "Everyone's clothes will be too big for her."

"Natasha's would fit better."

The ghost of a smile flickered across Steve's face, the first one Star had seen on him. "Bruce, if you want to go into Natasha's room while she's not here, be my guest."

Bruce slowly closed his eyes and shook his head. "Never mind. Your clothes will do."

Star followed Steve down a different hall than the one her room had been on, purposefully not looking back at James. He'd be fine. _How big is each level? And how many levels are there anyway?_ She was going to have plenty of recon to do around this place.

Steve opened the door to his room, and Star hovered by the doorway, glancing around. It was the same basic floor plan as hers and James's, though it looked more lived in. Her attention was caught by a shield leaning up against the side of his dresser. It would have been hard to miss, painted the way it was. A bright red and blue, with a white star in the middle.

"You can check it out if you want."

"What?" Star asked, looking over at him.

Steve tugged one of the drawers open. "The shield. Most people are curious."

She hesitated only a moment before deciding to take him up on the offer. She crossed to the shield and picked it up by the edge. "It's light." Not that she'd expected it to be incredibly heavy, but she'd expected it to have more heft than this.

"It's made from vibranium," Steve said. "It's light, but pretty close to unbreakable."

"It needs to be," Star said, holding it out at arm's length to study. "It's painted like a target."

"That's kind of the point," Steve said, plucking it out of her hands and dumping a bundle of cloth in her arms in exchange. "If people are shooting at me, I want them to hit the shield."

Star blinked, reassessing. "It's a distraction?"

"It can be," Steve said.

A sharp angry cry came from the kitchen, and Star was moving before she had time to form a conscious thought. When she saw Bruce and James though, she slowed down. Nothing was actually wrong with James; Bruce had just finally managed to get the sippy cup from him, and James seemed to be taking exception to that.

Bruce either didn't notice or chose to ignore her sudden entrance, but Star could hear Steve walking up behind her, and she didn't want to talk about it. She turned on her heel and made her way towards her room, trying to pretend that had been her intention the whole time. As soon as she was alone in her room, she sagged against the door. "James is fine," she whispered. "He's fine."

She'd decided that she would trust them, but apparently trusting was easier said than done. _James isn't going to vanish just because I can't see him._

Before meeting Director Fury, she'd have said the same thing about the compound.

Star closed her eyes, wishing she could burn the image of that picture out of her memory. She couldn't though; for as long as she lived, she'd be able to recall it with perfect clarity.

 _This is stupid. They lied to me and kept secrets. They were going to kill James. I shouldn't be upset!_

No matter how she told herself that she shouldn't be upset, it didn't change that she was. The compound hadn't been a great place, and things there had ended badly, but it was the only place she'd ever really known, and now it was just gone.

 _Just like the first James._

He'd been there from the very beginning, then suddenly he wasn't. Now the compound was gone, which meant Dr. Miller was probably gone too.

Star pushed away from the door, forcing herself to move towards the bathroom. She tried to ignore the question that was bubbling up inside her: how many more of the people that walked into her life were going to just vanish without a trace?

* * *

Steve waited until he heard the door to Star's room shut before speaking. "She's still having a hard time trusting us."

Bruce didn't even look up as he answered. "Can't say I blame her." He was trying to get James to eat a bite of oatmeal, but James turned his head away.

"I guess not." Steve moved over to the books that were still scattered across the floor from the impromptu study session and started picking them up. For a minute the only sound was Bruce cajoling James into trying the oatmeal, but about the time that Steve finished stacking the books neatly on the coffee table, Bruce spoke up again.

"So how come you're more bothered by James than Star?"

Steve paused for a moment before straightening to face Bruce. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Bruce shot him a look over James's head, one that was typically reserved for Tony or Clint when they were being exasperating. "Is that really how you want to play this right now? Because if _I've_ noticed you struggling to even look at him, you can bet that everyone else has noticed." He looked back down at James, finally getting him to take a bite of the oatmeal. "It's only a matter of time before Star notices too; she's a smart kid. If she's struggling to trust us now, I can only imagine it'll get worse when she realizes you don't like James."

Steve rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't - it's not that I dislike him." He wasn't sure how anyone could actively _dislike_ a toddler, though admittedly he didn't have much experience with them.

"Then what is it?" Bruce asked when he didn't say anything else.

Steve's gaze dropped down to James, but only for a moment before he looked away. He winced as soon as he realized what he'd done; this was exactly what Bruce was talking about.

"He just makes me think about things I'd rather not." It sounded weak to his ears even as he said it. It was hard to tell what Bruce thought of his answer, what with his focus still mostly on James. Steve settled on the couch with a sigh.

"Because he's got your old health issues, or because his name is James?" Bruce asked.

Steve looked over at him in sharp surprise. Bruce looked a little sheepish. "Every history class that goes over WW2 talks about the Howling Commandos. Sargent James Barnes was a friend of yours, right?"

"Don't think I'll ever get used to being a history lesson," Steve said. If someone had told him that one day he'd be the subject of school lessons, Steve would never have believed them. "But yeah. Bucky was a friend." Even if he hadn't gone by his first name for the most part, it was hard not to think of Bucky every time he heard the name James.

Bruce didn't say anything, and Steve hesitated. He had a feeling that Bruce would drop the subject if Steve asked him too. Steve hadn't talked about Bucky since waking up in the 21st century. Hadn't talked much about any part of his past, really.

Who would he have talked to? Peggy was the only one left from his past. While Steve made a point of visiting her regularly, he never knew beforehand which Peggy he was going to see: the Peggy that had lived a full life, the Peggy that thought they were still fighting the war, or the Peggy that looked at him and didn't know him at all. He couldn't talk to Tony; Steve didn't doubt that Tony would listen, but he was Howard's son. Steve wouldn't be able to talk to Tony without talking about Howard, and it hadn't taken long to realize that for whatever reason Tony had a major chip on his shoulder where Howard was concerned. He couldn't talk to Clint or Nat either. He liked them well enough, but they were spies for SHIELD. He trusted SHIELD with a lot of things, but not his past. Thor hadn't been back on earth since the Battle of New York. Bruce wasn't usually around.

 _He's here now._

Bruce didn't have any connections to Steve's past, and fewer ties to SHIELD than Steve himself. He was listening. And this was the first time in over two years that Steve had spoken Bucky's name out loud. Now that he'd said something, he didn't want to stop.

"We were friends before the war," Steve said. "I met Bucky at school. He sat beside me in class and just started talking, like we'd known each other our whole lives." It had baffled Steve at first; even as early as the sixth grade, he'd been used to being overlooked by the other kids. He'd learned soon though that Bucky wasn't the sort of person to overlook anyone.

"Did you enlist at the same time then?" Bruce asked.

Steve shook his head. "No. We tried. He got in, I didn't. I wasn't taken until right after he shipped out."

"So he had no idea about Project Rebirth?"

"Not until we met up again," Steve said.

Bruce chuckled. "I'd bet he had some questions for you."

Steve's mouth turned up in a wry smile. "Just a few." The march back to base after he'd rescued them from Hydra had been filled with questions, including a few in the 'are you stupid' vein. Bucky couldn't give Steve too hard of a time about volunteering for the experiment though, given he'd been able to rescue them because of it.

"So, just curious," Bruce said, "what would Bucky think about this situation?"

Steve blinked. Of all the things Bruce could have asked, Steve would never have expected that question. He wasn't sure how Bucky's potential reaction mattered anyway. Still, his mind turned it over. "He'd probably join Tony in trying to introduce Star to new food. He'd do something dumb to try and make her relax, and he'd be fussing over James. He'd insist..."

"Insist?" Bruce questioned when Steve trailed off.

Steve couldn't bring himself to voice the words out loud. He knew he exactly what Bucky would say about this, could practically hear the words.

" _Steve. They're your kids."_

It was a terrible idea. It just was.

He heard the click of Star's bedroom door opening and waved for Bruce to keep quiet. A moment later she appeared at the end of the hall, and Steve covered his mouth with a hand. Her hair hung wet and limp past her shoulders, and his clothes hung off her in pools of fabric. She looked like a little kid playing dress up.

She scanned the room, sharp eyes taking everything in before focusing on Bruce and James. Bruce set aside the spoon he was holding. "Well, I think James has eaten all he's going to eat for now. I'd better get him his medicine and breathing treatment. Want to learn how to do it, Star?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Bruce stood and walked towards her, James in his arms. Steve watched them go. James peeked around Bruce's shoulder, flashing a smile in Steve's direction. The expression sent an odd pang through his chest.

 _It's a terrible idea._

He could almost hear what Bucky's response would be. _"And when has that ever stopped you before?"_

Steve let out a short breath, and then he stood and followed them down the hall.

* * *

 **AN:** So 2018 has kicked off with a busier schedule for me. Weekly updates will definitely not be possible for right now. I'm just aiming for monthly, though if I can manage quicker writing than that, I will (no promises).


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning:** While I believe everything in this chapter is pretty solidly in the "T" rating, I just want to give a quick heads up about the fight scene at the end of the chapter. There are a couple moments some people might find unpleasant, so if fight scenes tend to bother you, maybe skim the ending.

* * *

Impatience nipped at the Winter Soldier, though he was careful not to let it show. He didn't care about waiting for a target when it was part of a plan, but this wasn't _waiting_. This, with the frantic phone calls, whispered questions that bordered on panic, this was _floundering_. This was incompetence.

And he had no choice but to stand there, silent and watching, at the beck and call of this incompetence.

They had at least come to the city his target was in, but now things had stalled. They had told him that his target had gained allies by way of some team called the Avengers. As of yet, no one had bothered to brief him on who the Avengers were, or why their interference should cause so much disruption to his mission.

It was annoying.

A phone rang, and the agent in charge – if any of these incompetents could be said to be in charge of the situation – answered. "Sitwell."

The Winter Soldier focused his attention on Sitwell and the phone call. His hearing was good enough to hear the other voice through the phone. "They've left the asset with just the Captain for protection. It's time to move."

 _Finally._

* * *

Tony peered out the windshield of the quinjet as they came up on the compound. "Whoever destroyed the building knew what they were doing," he observed. The compound wasn't huge, but the only portion that had suffered any damage was the main building. The grassy courtyard, high walls, and the landing pad Clint was aiming for were all untouched.

"Can your suit scan for survivors?" Natasha asked.

Tony glanced at her sharply. "You think they blew it up with people in there?"

She shrugged. "Hard to say one way or another."

He moved towards the suit, and it opened up at Tony's approach. The process of suiting up as Iron Man was as familiar and easy as breathing by this time, but it was also accompanied by a twinge of guilt and memories of his recent argument with Pepper.

Tony shoved those thoughts aside. This was neither the time nor place. He had work to do.

As soon as the ramp was lowered Tony was off, cutting through the air to fly over the building. "JARVIS, scan for any survivors."

Data flashed across the screens. "I detect two survivors in the building."

A schematic of the building based on the initial scan popped up, including a recommended route to reach the survivors. "The building seems to be unstable," JARVIS informed him. "I do not recommend Agents Barton or Romanoff attempt to enter."

"Connect me to their coms," Tony said. A beep let him know that connection was established. "Hey, JARVIS located two survivors, but the building is pretty unstable. You two stay out here. I'm going in after them."

"Got it," Clint said.

Tony flew into the building through a broken window. A part of him would have liked to have moved slowly, observing what he could of the building, but now wasn't the time. He didn't know what kind of condition the survivors were in, so he needed to get to them as quickly as possible.

The path JARVIS had mapped out for him led to an elevator. It was only the work of a moment to pry the doors open. The elevator car had fallen to the bottom of the shaft, several stories down. Tony didn't need to go quite that far. He stepped into the shaft, lowered himself three floors, and pried the doors open. This level was underground, meaning no helpful sunlight for him to see by. JARVIS switched on the suit's lights without prompting.

The damage on this hall was worse than the damage above. Beams, chunks of wall, and other items he couldn't immediately identify crisscrossed the area. "Looks like the explosion originated from somewhere down here."

"They probably did most of their work down there then," Natasha said. "It'll be worth a second look once you get the survivors out."

Getting to the survivors was taking longer than Tony would have liked. Oh, sure, he could blast his way through the obstacles, but only if he wanted to risk bringing more of the building down. Instead he had to carefully make his way around the debris. _Not looking forward to the trip back._

It felt like it took ages, but Tony finally made it to the survivors' location. It was two men, pinned under debris. They were covered with so much dust and soot, Tony couldn't begin to guess what their roles in this place might have been. One was unconscious, but the other was still awake, and when he focused on the suit he let out a curse.

"Gee, you keep talking like that and I'll start to think you're not happy to see me," Tony said. He didn't typically taunt injured people, but given what had been going on in this place, he was willing to make an exception. "I'm going to lift the beam off of you. Think you can get out by yourself?"

The man swallowed. "Yeah, I think so."

Tony stepped between the two men, fixed a grip on the beam and lifted. The man crawled out from under it, and based on the way he moved, he didn't have any broken bones despite having been trapped. He grabbed hold of his partner and dragged him out from under the debris as well before Tony set it down.

 _At least this guy is smart enough not to try and run_.

Not that he could have gotten far. It just made things easier if the man was aware of that. "Okay, let's get you two to the surface."

The trip back up was slower and more inconvenient than the trip down had been. Even though the one man was conscious, Tony still had to help him quite a bit. They finally made it back up to the surface, where Clint and Natasha were waiting. "I'll leave that one to you guys," Tony said as he carried the unconscious man to the quinjet to secure him there. Thankfully, the suit meant he didn't have to miss the start of the interrogation.

"So, who might you be?" Clint asked.

"Randall Thompson," the man answered. "I am – was – part of the security team here."

 _Huh. He didn't even hesitate to answer._ Well, almost getting blown up probably didn't do much for employee morale.

"We've got some questions for you," Natasha said.

"I'll answer whatever I can," Randall said.

"You're surprisingly cooperative," Clint said.

By this time Tony was walking back to the three of them so he saw Randall shrug and wince. "My bosses just blew up a building while I was still in it."

 _Yeah, almost killing your employees is not a great way to keep their loyalty._

"Speaking of your bosses," Natasha said, "who are they, exactly?"

He didn't say anything. "Come on, Randall," Tony said. "Don't get shy now."

Randall grimaced, but he answered the question. "We're only supposed to refer to them as the Company, but anyone who has been here a while knows. They're Hydra."

"That's impossible," Tony said. "Hydra was wiped out after WWII, everyone knows that." Whatever the group was that had grown up through SHIELD, it wasn't Hydra. It couldn't be.

Clint and Natasha weren't saying anything. They looked grim.

Grim. Not shocked.

Tony shifted to face them. "No. Hydra was _wiped out_ after the war. Don't tell me that SHIELD knows something different."

"No," Clint said quickly. Too quickly for Tony's tastes. " _Hydra_ as an organization was dismantled. But…"

"But what?" Tony snapped when Clint trailed off.

"When SHIELD was founded, they recruited former Hydra scientists," Natasha said. Her expression was smooth, her voice even, and it was impossible to get a read on her. "It isn't common knowledge though, even within SHIELD."

"I can't imagine why," Tony said, making no effort to keep the bite from his words. He had wondered how a second organization could grow within SHIELD without anyone noticing, but this new information made that puzzle much clearer. Recruit Hydra scientists, ones that were still loyal to the ideals that Hydra had espoused, and then give them access to resources, to spies and agents that could be recruited; how could anyone expect that _not_ to go wrong?

 _What idiot thought this was a good – oh. Oh no._

Tony knew that his father had had a hand in founding SHIELD, though he was still uncertain how deep Howard's influence had gone. But recruiting enemy scientists was exactly the sort of thing that Howard Stark would have done. His father had valued brilliance above everything else, and he would have hated seeing brilliant minds 'being wasted' in prison, and he would have been arrogant enough to believe he could foresee or stop any attempt at harm.

Maybe he was wrong, but Tony doubted it. If he was right, then all of this, the very survival of Hydra, well. It was another part of the Stark legacy. Another mistake for Tony to try and fix.

Clint and Natasha ignored his dig, focusing in on Randall. "Who's running Hydra these days?" Clint asked.

"I don't know," Randall said. "They like to compartmentalize their information. All I know is the chain of command here stopped with Dr. Miller, and she's the only one that got out before the place blew up."

"Then let's focus on what happened here," Natasha said. "Any other experiments went on that we should know about?"

Randall was shaking his head even before she finished the question. "No, this place was solely devoted to trying to clone Captain America. Dr. Miller only ever managed to get the one clone right."

"Right, Star," Natasha said, and Tony didn't understand how she managed to keep her voice so conversational. "How did Dr. Miller get her hands on the samples she needed?"

"Contacts placed within SHIELD," Randall said. "I don't know who all of them are, but I can give you some names."

If the conversation was turning towards specific names of people within SHIELD, that was less interesting for Tony. He turned back towards the building. "You guys take your time with Randall. I'm going to see if I can learn anything useful from the building."

He flew back inside, made his way back down to the lower levels. Tony took his time now, going through the wreckage. Most of the rooms he examined were too damaged to tell with certainty what their purpose had been. He'd have to see if JARVIS could manage to reconstruct the rooms later.

He did find a room that had clearly been a lab. The twisted lumps that had been computers were too damaged to have any hope of getting any information from them. The computers weren't the most interesting thing in the room though. At the back of the room was a long metal box built into the floor. Some panels on the side had been stripped away by the blast, but it was surprisingly intact otherwise.

 _Guess this is where they made them._ Star and James's lives had started here. The lives of clones that hadn't been able to survive had started and ended here. A part of him wondered how many there had been that hadn't been able to survive. Star could probably tell him, if he asked, but there were some things Tony decided he was better off not knowing.

"How does this thing work?" he mumbled as he examined the machine closer. Some parts made sense to him, but other parts were like nothing he'd ever seen before.

"Sir," JARVIS's voice said in his ear, "my system at the Avengers Tower has been overridden. I am attempting to reestablish control, but have not yet been successful."

Tony immediately abandoned the machine, making his way back to the surface. "Connect me to Clint and Natasha." He paused for just a second to make sure the connection was established. "I'm going back to the Tower. Someone overrode JARVIS."

"That's possible?" Clint's voice said.

"Apparently," Tony bit out. It shouldn't be possible. But Tony could think of one organization that might be able to pull it off. Well maybe two, depending on how technical one wanted to get about the SHIELD/Hydra mess. He made it out of the building and didn't even pause, rocketing into the air and setting course to head back to the Tower.

"We'll follow you," Natasha said.

"JARVIS, call Steve," Tony ordered. The screen popped up right away. Steve's phone rang and rang, before finally shifting him to voicemail. JARVIS anticipated his next request, immediately dialing Bruce. It rang twice before he answered.

"Hello?"

"What's going on?"

"I - what?" Bruce didn't sound alarmed, just baffled. "What are you talking about?"

JARVIS losing control of the Tower should have been noticeable. "Where are you?" Tony asked.

"At a store. Star needed some clothes. Steve stayed at the Tower with the kids. Why? What's going on?"

"Someone managed to take control of the Tower from JARVIS," Tony said, "and Steve isn't answering his phone."

"I'm on my way back," Bruce said. "I'll call you as soon as I know something."

The line disconnected. "Any luck yet, JARVIS?"

"No, sir. I have not been able to reestablish control of the Tower."

Tony grit his teeth. "Get me back there as fast as possible."

* * *

It made Star nervous when Bruce left. She told herself it was silly to feel that way, but that didn't stop her from feeling a pang once he was gone. Still, she stayed busy enough not to think about it much. Before he left, Bruce had informed them that James needed a bath, and that was an experience. James had had fun at least, but now Steve was stuck mopping up the bathroom floor with a towel while Star got James dressed. She was not convinced that she'd been given the easier task.

James squirmed and wiggled, totally uninterested in his need for clothes. Star was so focused on actually getting him in something that she didn't notice the pattern on his shirt until it was already on him. For some reason, there was a picture of Steve's shield on the chest. _Well, they've been okay with questions so far._ When Steve walked out of the bathroom, Star held up James for him to see. "How come there's a picture of your shield on his shirt?"

An expression crossed Steve's face that Star didn't know how to interpret. He sighed before he spoke. "Bruce mentioned that he told you a bit about the Avengers." Star nodded, and Steve continued. "As a team, we're a bit famous. And well…" He waved a hand in a vague gesture towards James's shirt.

"People make shirts based off the Avengers," Star supplied. James began to squirm in her grip, so she set him down.

"Among other things," Steve said.

James had wandered over to the plastic bags that hadn't been unpacked yet. He tugged at one of them and toys spilled out. James picked up a small, fluffy dog with a delighted sound. _I wonder how long it'll take him to start using words._ She'd picked up on words quickly, but then Dr. Miller had been accelerating her aging process, and Star wasn't sure if that had impacted her ability to learn languages or not.

Steve stepped over and picked James up. James didn't seem to mind. He just held on to his stuffed dog and made some babbling noises, like he was trying to talk but couldn't get any of the words right. "It's not quite lunchtime," Steve said to Star, "but I think it's close enough for us to get a snack if you want."

"That sounds good," Star said. She was starting to get hungry – their early morning breakfast had been a while ago now – but mostly she was relieved to just have something to do. She wished again that she could have some sort of schedule in place. Not knowing what was coming next was uncomfortable.

Just as they reached the kitchen, JARVIS spoke. "Captain, someone is attempting to override my system."

Steve whirled around, catching Star by the arm and yanking her along with him in the direction of his room. "JARVIS, any idea what's coming?"

The power went out, plunging them into darkness since the windows were still blacked out. Steve's steps didn't even falter, though Star could hear James make a startled noise at the sudden change. Star blinked rapidly, willing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. There was a ringing noise from back in the living room, but Steve ignored it, so Star figured she could too.

Steve pulled her to a stop, and she could hear him opening a door. The open door let in some light, since the windows in Steve's room hadn't been blacked out. Steve dragged her into the room and shoved James into her arms.

Glass shattered in the living room, and Star could hear the thud of people landing. Steve snatched up his shield and snapped, "Stay here!" Then he dashed out of the room.

 _Stay here?_

When they were being attacked by people who were planning to capture her? That might be planning to kill James?

 _I don't think so._

Star set James down and hissed, "Stay." His bottom lip wobbled, but Star ignored it. She could hear the thuds and shouts as Steve engaged the intruders.

She moved more cautiously than Steve had, peering around the edge of the doorway. Light was at least streaming in now, thanks to the broken windows. Two men in tactical gear round the corner at the end of the hall, guns at the ready. They spotted her immediately, taking aim. Star dove into a forward roll, heard the whizz of tranquilizer darts passing over her head. _Not trying to kill me._

Too bad she didn't feel the same way about them.

Instead of fully coming out of her roll, Star stayed close to the ground and launched herself at their legs. They came tumbling to the floor, and for a second Star got a glimpse of what was happening. Steve was in the middle of the room, locked in combat with a masked man that had a metal arm. _Super soldier._ He had to be, to be able to go toe to toe with Steve the way he was. Eight other men ranged around the room, all armed and in full gear. Two were about to head down the other hall – looking for her probably – and the rest were focusing on Steve, keeping him busy.

She could hear James start to cry down the hall.

Star grabbed hold of the ankle of one of the men she'd knowcked over and threw him at the people clustered around Steve. The other man she'd knocked down rolled over and pointed his gun at her, but Star was faster, grabbing his wrists and flinging him at the two men now turning from the other hallway.

Despite her intervention, Steve still couldn't break away from the super soldier. She had managed to distract the other men though. The ones she knocked over by throwing their teammates scrambled to get up, while the ones on the other side of Steve took aim.

Star dove to the side, ducking behind the kitchen island. She heard the thud of the darts hitting the wall just behind where she'd been standing a moment ago. She needed to thin their numbers fast.

A man came around the island, gun at the ready. Star tensed, but before she could move Steve's shield hit the man's head before bouncing back. The man dropped, and Star felt a flash of irritation. "Focus on your own fight!" she snapped, knowing Steve would hear her. This was what she'd been trained for; what she'd been _made_ for. She didn't need his help.

Another man came around the island, and Star darted forward. She grabbed his wrist and brought her other hand down sharply on his elbow. He screamed as bone snapped, and his gun fell from his hand. As his knees buckled, Star reached forward and grabbed his shirt collar, yanking him around so the darts aimed for her hit him instead. The man jerked, then his head lolled back, and Star threw his limp body at his teammates.

 _Two down._

No, three. Star spotted another limp form on the ground near where Steve and the super soldier were still fighting before she was forced to duck behind the island for cover as more tranquilizer darts fired in her direction.

James's crying was getting louder.

Star peered around the counter, and one of the men pointed his gun in her direction, then shifted his aim towards the hall. She glanced that way and thought her heart might stop when she saw James standing there, still clutching that stuffed dog as he cried, confusion and fear written across his face. Horror rose as it sank in that she _hadn't shut the door_ , and of course he'd followed her out.

"James!"

Her body lurched forward, doing the only thing that made sense in the moment, throwing herself between James and what would be for him certain death. She felt the bite as the dart sank into her hip, delivering its dosage of tranquilizer before she even stumbled into the wall. Star recognized the burning sensation, could hear Dr. Miller's voice in her head as she pushed away from the wall.

" _I know it's unpleasant, Star, but we have to test your limits. How else will we know how to counter tricks our enemies may attempt to use against you?"_

The focus of Star's world narrowed to the man who'd tried to shoot James. She wouldn't have time for much, but she had time for this. She rushed him, didn't bother trying to dodge when he shot the second tranquilizer dart at her. Before he could get off a third shot, she was on him, shoving his weapon down, and striking up with a sharp blow. The heel of her palm hit his nose, snapping cartilage and driving it back into his brain. He dropped, body twitching.

A third dart hit Star in the back, and her legs went out from under her. Star's limbs were heavy and numb, and as the world faded away, her ears rang with the sound of James crying.

" _I know it's unpleasant, Star, but…"_


	12. Chapter 12

"James!"

Steve's heartrate spiked at Star's cry. He needed to end this _now_. His opponent flinched, and Steve pounced on the opening. He landed a blow on the man's jaw, making him stumble. Steve didn't give him time to recover, moving in to grab hold of him. With a spin and a heave, the man was flying through the air to crash into the cabinets over the kitchen counter.

Finally freed, Steve assessed the room at a glance. Six intruders left, not counting the super soldier who wasn't likely to be down long. James was standing in the hall, crying but unharmed and unmoving, and Star was down.

Two men rushed towards Star, and the others opened fire on Steve. He dodged to the side; one tranquilizer dart probably wouldn't knock him out if they'd been designed with Star in mind, but if he was hit with several it might become a problem. He made it to his shield, which was still on the floor after throwing it earlier, and heaved it at the two men that had gone for Star. It hit them both, knocking them down, but it was the wrong angle for it to bounce back towards Steve. It flew off to the side, burying itself in the wall instead.

"Stand down!"

The man who'd shouted had a gun pointed at James, and Steve froze. He was too far away, Steve would never make it across the room before the man got a shot off. One dart would be more than enough to stop James's heart. Helpless anger rushed through him, but Steve didn't dare move. The super soldier stood and Steve glanced in his direction.

Steve's world stopped.

The soldier's mask had come off, and for the first time Steve could see his face. His mind struggled to process what his eyes were telling him, because this was impossible.

"Bucky?"

Bucky met his stare, but his expression was empty in a way that Steve had never seen before. There was nothing to show he recognized Steve at all, and when he spoke it felt like a physical blow.

"Who the hell is Bucky?"

James's cries changed to an all too familiar wheeze, snapping Steve out of his stupor. He didn't understand how Bucky was even alive, much less how he was involved in this mess, but now wasn't the time to try and figure it out. Not when there were kids relying on him, and he needed to _do something._

James wobbled and sat, putting himself just outside the aim of the tranquilizer, and Steve moved. The man let out a startled shout before Steve slammed into him, knocking him back hard enough to put a hole in the wall when they hit it. His back stung; someone had gotten him with a tranquilizer dart. Steve ignored the minor discomfort, spinning around to put himself between James and the others. Bucky had taken advantage of Steve's distraction to get to Star, and Steve saw that her hands had been restrained.

There was a soft ding, and the elevator door slid open. Bruce stepped out, and even from across the room Steve could see his eyes flash green.

"Abort!" one of the men shouted.

Bucky snatched Star up, and before Steve could even take a step in their direction, he threw her at Bruce. He stumbled back with a grunt when she hit him, and Steve hesitated, looking to see if Bruce was about to change. Bruce held on to Star so she didn't fall to the floor, and Steve didn't see any signs that he was going to transform into the Hulk.

His momentary hesitation was enough to give the assailants time to get to the broken windows. Steve took a step in that direction, his eyes trained on Bucky, but James's wheezing brought him to a halt. Steve _wanted_ to go after Bucky, to find out how he was alive and how he'd ended up like this, but James and Star _needed_ him. So as much as he hated it, Steve let Bucky go. He turned and picked James up, holding him close. James held his toy with one hand while the other latched on to Steve's shirt. James stared up at him, his face pale and eyes wide as he struggled to breathe.

"Star was hit with three tranquilizers," Steve called over his shoulder as he moved to James's room. "Get her to medical! I'll be following."

"Got it," Bruce said. His voice had the same controlled calm that Steve was used to hearing in battlefield medics.

 _Good. He won't lose control._

Lights flickered on helpfully as Steve reached the bedroom door. It briefly crossed Steve's mind to wonder when JARVIS had reestablished control of the Tower, but he filed the question away as low priority and went for James's medicines instead. He snatched everything up, and then went back to the elevator. He let his eyes skim over the downed attackers as he did. Most of them weren't going to wake up again, and of the ones that would, well, it probably wouldn't be today.

"Alert me if it seems like any of them are going to wake up," Steve said as the elevator doors slid closed.

"Of course, Captain," JARVIS said.

Steve absently noted a bag tossed in the corner of the elevator; it looked like Bruce had gotten some shopping done before he'd come back to the Tower after all. James tugged at his shirt collar; he was still gasping and his eyes were watery. "You're going to be okay, buddy," Steve murmured. He couldn't tell if James understood his words or tone.

The elevator slid open, letting them into the medical floor. Bruce already had Star on a table. Steve noted her still cuffed hands and made a mental note to search the men upstairs for keys to get her hands free.

Steve set James on a second exam table, and had to tug at his hand to get him to let go of his shirt. James's face crumpled and tears trickled from his eyes. "I'm not leaving you, James," Steve said. He still wasn't sure how much James could understand, but it seemed wrong not to explain. "Just got to get everything set up."

He remembered how Bruce had done the breathing treatment that morning. Steve got the machine ready and slipped the mask over James's head. James grabbed hold of Steve's hand, and Steve didn't try to pull away.

"How's Star?" he called out to Bruce.

"Everything is showing she's stable," Bruce said. "Hard to tell how long she might be out without knowing exactly what she was injected with."

Steve nodded. He kept his gaze on James who finally seemed to be calming down. _At least one of us is._

His mind whirled with everything that had just happened. Bucky was alive and working for the enemy. Bucky was _alive._

James though almost hadn't been. Twice in this fight, guns had been pointed in his direction. Steve would never understand how anyone could look at someone as helpless as James and just willfully put them in harm's way. He brushed a hand over James's hair, reassuring himself that the worst hadn't happened.

"I'm going to see if I can finds keys to get these cuffs off her," Bruce said.

Steve glanced over at Star when Bruce was gone. She looked small, laying there on the exam table. Vulnerable. His jaw clenched as he remembered her words: _"Focus on your own fight!"_ She didn't understand at all. Hadn't seen that the whole point of what he was doing was keeping her safe, and by just jumping into things she was making that harder.

James tugged at Steve's hand, distracting him. Steve looked back down at him, and James raised his arms and made a soft pleading noise. His breathing had improved, so Steve tugged the mask off of him and picked him up. James nestled close, resting his head on Steve's shoulder. Between the stress of the fight he'd just seen, the asthma attack, and not being fully recovered from his illness in the first place, the poor kid was probably overwhelmed. Steve turned and leaned back against the exam tale so he could keep an eye on Star too.

The elevator door opened again, letting Bruce back in. "Found keys," he said. "She's not awake yet?"

Steve shook his head. "Not yet."

"Mr. Stark is calling," JARVIS said.

A second later Tony's voice came through the speakers. "Is everyone okay?"

"The kids are fine," Steve said. "JARVIS updated you?"

"Yeah," Tony said. "JARVIS got control again about the time Star hid in the kitchen, and kept the feed playing for me."

That early? Then that meant –

"Steve, how do you know that super soldier?"

Bruce sent a sharp look Steve's way, pausing from getting the restraints off of Star. "Super soldier?"

Steve winced. "The one that threw Star at you."

Emotion flickered across Bruce's face, there and gone before Steve could get a proper read on it. "Ah."

"I know him because it was Bucky," Steve said.

"Bucky?" Bruce repeated. "Your friend Bucky?"

"Yeah," Steve said. It felt unreal again even as he said it.

"Still not clearing things up for me," Tony said.

"Bucky Barnes," Bruce answered. "He was a member of the Howling Commandos. But I thought he died during the war."

For a second, Steve was on the train again. He could hear the shriek of the wind in his ears, feel the bite of the cold, could see the expression on Bucky's face in the split second that he had realized that _this was it,_ this was how he was going to die.

James shifted, and Steve took a deep breath. He reached up and rubbed James's back, feeling him settle down again. _Stay focused, Rogers._

"I thought so too," Steve said. If he'd had any inkling that Bucky might be alive, any at all…but he hadn't. He'd thought Bucky's death was certain, and he hadn't looked for him. Steve couldn't change that. "I don't know how he survived, or how he's here." There was one thing that Steve was certain of though. "The Company has to be controlling him somehow. He didn't recognize me, and the Bucky I know would never – he'd never be doing this of his own will. They've done something to him."

After a moment of silence, Bruce said, "Well, you know our news. Did you guys find anything out at the compound?"

"Nothing good," Tony said. "I'll be at the Tower soon, and I'll tell you all about then."

A beep informed them that he'd cut the connection. Bruce sighed. "Must be really bad then."

 _Of course it is,_ Steve thought sourly. _Why wouldn't this day get worse?_

Star's breathing changed, and Bruce moved to hover at her side as her eyes blinked open. "Hey, Star, how are you feeling?"

She flexed her hands and took a shuddering breath. "I'm fine." She pushed herself up and looked around. "James…?"

"He's okay," Steve said. "I've got him."

Star focused in on him, and relief washed across her face. She turned so she was facing them, letting her legs dangle over the edge of the table.

"You sure you don't need to lie down longer?" Bruce asked.

She shook her head and glanced Bruce's way. "The aftereffects wear off faster if I don't."

Steve blinked. _They've done this to her before._ He supposed the Company would have had to, in order to figure out how much and what kind of tranquilizer would actually work to knock her out.

"What were you _thinking_?"

Star went rigid at his tone, her head snapping towards him.

"I told you to stay back," Steve said.

"I'm a soldier," she said.

"No, you're not!" James started in his arms, and Steve bit back a curse. He hadn't meant to raise his voice like that. Star just watched him, her face completely blank. Steve patted James's back, and he settled down again, laying his head back on Steve's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Steve said. "I shouldn't have yelled." Star didn't react, and he couldn't tell if she believed his apology or not. He did his best to keep his voice gentle as he continued. "But Star, you are not a soldier. You're a child. Being enhanced doesn't change that." Steve took a deep breath and made sure he had eye contact with her. If she heard nothing else of what he said right now, he needed her to hear this. "When I tell you to do something, I need you to listen to me. I left you in the bedroom because it was a more defensible position. Anyone that got past me would only have been able to come after you from one direction. You could've kept James hidden so they wouldn't have been able to threaten him. You didn't just put yourself in danger by leaving the room; you put James in danger too."

Star flinched, her hands tightening around the edge of the exam table. Her eyes darted down to James, as though reassuring herself again that he was still alright.

"If I have time to explain why I need you to do something, I will," Steve said, "but there won't always be time. Sometimes I'll need you to just listen. Do you understand, Star?"

She looked back up at him, and when she spoke her voice was subdued. "Yes, sir."

Silence hung in the air, and Steve shifted, feeling like he needed to do or say something else but unsure what. Memories flickered through Steve's mind, of lectures from his mother. They'd always ended with hugs. _No. I'm not – she's not – I can't._

"Well, uh," Bruce said, "I guess we ought to do something about the people upstairs then?"

"Right," Steve said, relieved to have the awkward pause broken.

Star slipped off the table landing lightly on her feet. Steve didn't miss the way she held on to the edge for a moment longer than what should have been necessary. _Tranquilizer must not be totally out of her system yet._ When she walked though, her movements were steady.

They all piled in the elevator. As it rose, Bruce picked up the bag he'd discarded earlier and handed it to Star. "Here's what I managed to pick up for you. I was guessing at your sizes, so I hope something fits."

"Thank you," she said, taking the bag. Her voice was still quiet, like it had been when she'd answered him earlier. Unease pricked at him; had he been too harsh? He needed her to understand that the situation was serious, and that she needed to listen to him, but Steve didn't want to scare her.

The elevator came to a stop, and the doors slid open again. "Star, I want you to take James to your bedroom," Steve said. "Keep him out of the way while we take care of this."

She nodded and reached out for James. He fussed a little as Steve handed him over, but calmed down quickly enough for Star.

"Any ideas on restraining the ones that are unconscious?" Bruce asked.

Steve pulled his attention away from the kids and refocused on the task at hand. "JARVIS, does Tony have rope or anything around?"

* * *

Star laid James down on her bed carefully. He whimpered, reaching out for her. After a moment's hesitation, Star sat on the bed beside him, letting him hold her hand. He settled then, eyes drifting closed. Star studied his face, and felt sick again at the thought that he could have been killed.

She glanced towards the door. Star had shut it this time. She still half expected someone to come through and lay out exactly what her punishment was for disobeying. Surely Steve's brief lecture wasn't _it_. She had disobeyed and, as Steve had pointed out, put James in danger because of her actions. Punishment _always_ followed disobedience.

 _Maybe Steve just forgot?_ It seemed doubtful. During his lecture would have been the most logical time to assign a punishment, but not only hadn't Steve assigned a punishment, he'd actually _apologized_ for raising his voice. That was just – adults didn't apologize, not really. They just didn't.

 _James did._

The first James, the one she'd named little James for. He had apologized, in an out of the way corner of the compound with no one else around.

" _Star, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should never have let them do this to you, even if… You're just a kid. I'm going to fix this. I'm going to fix it, okay? But you can't tell anyone. I just need you to be ready to go when I say tomorrow. Promise me you'll be ready?"_

She hadn't really understood what he was going on about; still wasn't sure what he'd been asking her to be ready for. But Star had liked James, and he'd been obviously upset, so she'd promised, and when the next day had come Star was alert and ready.

Except James never showed up at the compound that day. Or the next day. Or the day after that. When she finally gathered up the nerve to ask someone where he was, she had been curtly informed that he had been transferred, and that was that.

Star shook her head, pushing the memories away. She didn't like to think about James leaving her. She checked on her James and found that he'd fallen asleep, so Star carefully slipped her hand out of his and stood.

 _Guess now's a good time to see what Bruce got me._

As Star dug through the bag, she wondered when Bruce had gotten back to the Tower. Sometime after she'd been knocked out obviously, but had it been before or after Steve had gotten rid of the Company's people? She hoped after. Star didn't like to think of Bruce being in danger; he was too nice for that.

The bag had a pair of jeans that fit well enough; they were a little short, but they'd work. The tops gave her pause. Not because they wouldn't fit, but because she'd never worn anything so colorful before. Star knew that colorful clothes existed, plenty of people at the compound had worn them, but they'd never been an option for her.

 _Not really good for sneaking up on people._

Which might be the point. Bruce and Tony – and now Steve – had made it more than clear that they didn't think she should be fighting at all. Or at least, not unless there were no other options for her.

" _You are not a soldier."_

Star frowned. Steve could say that, but if she wasn't a soldier, what else could she be? Especially when the Company was still coming after her. She had to be ready.

She tugged on a purple t-shirt, and then a dark green sweater over that. Not perfect, but the best she could do with what Bruce had brought her.

Someone knocked on the door. Star stared at it, almost at a loss at how to respond. "Come in?"

The door opened and Tony stepped in the room. He glanced over them both before he spoke, and when he did he kept his voice quiet. "Hey, Half Pint."

"You're back already?" she asked.

"JARVIS told me when the Company hacked into the system here," Tony said. "I got back as quick as I could. Clint and Natasha are still on their way in the quinjet." He slid his hands in his pockets and tilted his head down. "Are you okay?"

Steve and Bruce must have told him about her getting hit with tranquilizer darts. Or maybe JARVIS had. "I'm fine," she said. "The tranquilizer is pretty much out of my system by now."

A frown flickered across his face. "I know you're okay physically. But, Star, people just tried to kidnap you. There was a big fight and everything. It wouldn't be odd for you to be upset by that."

Star rocked back on her heels as it finally clicked what Tony was worried about. "I'm not scared."

Tony's eyebrows went up. "You're not? I find that a little hard to believe." He looked pointedly at James, then back to her.

Star shifted uncomfortably. She wasn't supposed to admit fear. It was a weakness, and that wasn't allowed.

" _You are not a soldier."_

She had to stop her hands from clenching into fists. Fear wasn't allowed at the compound, but Tony and the others seemed to have very different expectations for what Star's life was supposed to look like compared to the Company and Dr. Miller. Maybe what they thought about fear was different too.

Still, it was hard to say the words. They went against everything that she had been taught. "I was…worried…about James." She hastened to add, "But he's fine! So I'm fine."

Tony still looked unconvinced, but he nodded. "Okay, Half Pint, I'll let it go for now. But, if you're ever not fine, just know that you can talk to us about it, okay?"

"Okay," Star said, because it seemed like that was the answer Tony wanted.

There was another quick rap on the door, which Tony hadn't quite closed behind him, and then it was pushed open to let Steve and Bruce in. "That's all taken care of," Steve said. "We thought we could meet in here, since the living room is pretty cold now."

"Just keep it down, JJ's sleeping," Tony said.

"Should we call Clint and Natasha, since they're not here yet?" Bruce asked.

"JARVIS, connect us with them, would you?" Tony said. "And warn them not to be loud."

"Yes, sir," JARVIS said.

Star moved to the bed and sat beside James. The three men remained standing as they waited.

Clint's voice came through the speakers. "Hey, what's the big idea, throwing a party and not inviting us?"

Bruce snorted. "Not exactly what I'd call a party."

"Now's not the time for joking," Steve said. Star eyed him. He was still upset; she could see the tension in his shoulders, the tightness of his jaw, and hear the edge in his voice. "You two up to date on what happened?"

"We are," Natasha said. "Tony told us."

"Good," Steve said. "Now, what did you find out at the compound?"

Tony sighed, one hand reaching up to absentmindedly rub at his chest. "We found two survivors. One was conscious enough to talk; a security guy named Randall." Star perked up a little, recognizing the name. Not that she'd ever been close to Randall – or anyone from security for that matter – but she knew who he was. "He told us that the Company is actually a cover. For Hydra."

Bruce jerked a little, and looked over at Steve. Steve was still, the kind of still that happened right before a storm. Star wasn't sure how exactly, but she knew that that one word – Hydra – had somehow just made everything worse.


	13. Chapter 13

The Winter Soldier's head was spinning. That usually wasn't a problem for him. It was a simple enough task to focus totally on what he was doing most of the time, but they'd made it back to the nondescript vehicle that was taking them back to their temporary base, so the Winter Soldier didn't have anything to do at all. Except think.

 _James!_

 _Bucky?_

The names felt like a spike being driven into his skull, and he didn't know why. They didn't mean anything. Hearing them shouldn't affect him but somehow…he didn't understand _why_.

Neither name compared to the sound the boy had made though, the wheezing as he'd suddenly struggled to breathe. The sound had yanked at something in him that he hadn't known – or hadn't remembered – was there. An instinct that had wanted to react, to do _something._

Why did the wheezing matter? Why did it feel like he'd heard the sound before?

 _you'regoingtobeokayste-_

His mind latched onto that feeling. _I have heard someone sound like that before._ The Winter Soldier couldn't remember when, or who, but he felt a bone deep certainty that he had, and it had _mattered_.

 _No. It doesn't matter._ It couldn't matter. Hydra left him the memories and knowledge he needed to complete his missions. Everything else was irrelevant.

Wasn't it?

 _itmattersitmattersitmatters-_

One of the agents cursed, and the Winter Soldier glanced his way, willing for anything to distract him from the confusing mess of his thoughts. "Pierce is going to be pissed about this," the agent said.

A second agent shrugged. "Not much we can do about that. It was over once Banner showed up."

Which was why the Winter Soldier had thrown his target at Banner instead of trying to get away with her. Sitwell had finally seen fit to brief him on the Avengers before sending him in. He'd made it very clear that Banner couldn't be killed, and that if Banner showed up they were to retreat.

"We could have managed if that one had actually been able to defeat the Captain," the first agent said, jerking his head in the Winter Soldier's direction.

The Winter Soldier's thoughts sharpened as he focused in on the implicit threat in the agent's words. The man clearly intended to place the entire blame for the failed mission at the Winter Soldier's feet.

The man was also clearly an idiot if he thought the Winter Soldier was just going to let him.

"I kept the Captain busy." The agent started, his eyes going wide. It was almost comical. The agent had obviously made the mistake of believing that the Winter Soldier couldn't think. "There were eight of you, and you still couldn't take down one little girl."

The agent flinched back in his seat, but the Winter Soldier barely registered the movement. Something in his chest had lurched at his own choice of words. He'd phrased it that way to make the agent feel weak, but –

 _littlegirlshe'salittlegirlakidican't-_

She was his target. His mission. There was nothing else.

 _she'sjustalittlegirl-_

 _She's my mission._

* * *

Star stayed poised and still, keeping her eyes on Steve. Based on the way the others had reacted to that name – Hydra – Steve was the one that they expected to take it badly. When he spoke his voice was controlled and flat. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"That's impossible," he said. "Hydra was destroyed with the Red Skull."

"The organization was," Natasha's voice said through the speakers. Star wished she could see her; it was hard to gauge anything about the woman when she could only hear her voice. "Some of the scientists were recruited into SHIELD. It seems they managed to rebuild on the inside. It's hard to say how deep, but given what we do know, we have to assume they've made it to the top."

Steve closed his eyes and bowed his head. He was clearly furious, though Star wasn't completely sure about why. She followed some of it; the Company was actually Hydra, and though they hadn't known who the Company was, they _were_ familiar with Hydra and they obviously didn't like them.

 _What do they know about Hydra?_ They obviously knew something; possibly more than she did. Steve's reaction made it seem like this was personal for him somehow. Curiosity pricked at her, but Star stayed quiet. Tony had said she was allowed to ask questions, but now really didn't seem like the time.

"Well," Bruce said, "at least we've got an idea of what we're up against. Now the question is what our next move is."

Tony jerked a thumb towards Star and James. "Getting the kids somewhere safe. Once they're out of the way, then we can focus on dealing with Hydra."

"Easier said than done," Clint said through the speaker. "Hydra is still after Star, and aside from Fury, we can't trust anyone in SHIELD right now."

"What about Colonel Rhodes?" Bruce asked looking over at Tony.

"Rhodey is definitely trustworthy," Tony said, "and I don't doubt he'd take them. But leaving them with him has the same problem as keeping them here; Hydra will be able to track them down, and they'll go after Star. It's not any safer for them."

"It wouldn't be any safer for Star," Steve corrected. He looked up at her. "They were after you, not James. If we split the two of you up, we can make sure James at least stays out of the line of fire."

Blood pounded in her ears and Star shot to her feet. "No!" She heard James startle awake behind her, heard him whimper, but she ignored him. "You're not separating us!"

"It's the best way to keep James safe," Steve said.

"It's not an option!" Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms. It was one thing to leave James in another room. It was something else entirely to send him off to a complete stranger, and Star wouldn't let them. She'd run first. Just take James and go. She'd fought her way out of the compound, she'd fight her way out of here if they made her.

"Easy, Star," Bruce said, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. "We won't split you up."

Steve shot him an annoyed look. "We don't have another way to keep James safe. There's nowhere to hide them that SHIELD – that _Hydra_ won't be able to track them down. I'm not putting a toddler's life in danger _again_."

Star's eyes darted between them, assessing her options. They were too close to the doorway; she wouldn't be able to grab James and get through before Steve could move to block her. Too high up to go out the window. Her best bet for getting out would be taking a hostage, but the very idea made her stomach churn.

"Actually," Clint said, his voice cutting through her thoughts, "I might have a place."

" _You_ have a place SHIELD doesn't know about?" Tony asked.

"Yep," Clint said. "It's completely off the grid. Fury and Nat know about it, but that's it. As far as SHIELD is concerned, it doesn't exist. It's the safest place I can think of for the kids."

"Someone will need to stay there with them," Bruce said.

"I've got that covered too," Clint said. "We're going to need all hands for this one."

Tony glanced Steve's way. "What do you say, Cap? This one is your call."

Star bristled. Why was the decision being left to Steve? He grimaced and looked up towards the ceiling. "You're sure that Hydra won't be able to find them?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be making the offer," Clint said.

Steve let out a long breath of air. "Okay. We'll take them to your safe house then." He looked back at Star. "Unless you're going to argue about that idea."

She forced her muscles to relax. "We'll go." She'd go anywhere they told her to right now, as long as they didn't try to separate her from James.

"That's settled then," Natasha said, her voice brisk and professional. "We'll be at the Tower in a few minutes."

A beep signaled the end of the call. Silence fell over the group, broken only by James's fussing. He hadn't settled back yet since his rude awakening. Star sat beside him, brushing a hand over his hair. He stilled at her touch, reaching up to curl his hand around her fingers. _They won't take you away from me. I won't let them._

People vanished when they weren't near. Star refused to let that happen to James.

"Guess we'd better get ready," Bruce said. "I'll pack up James's stuff."

He headed for the door, and Tony followed him. Steve stayed where he was. Star decided to pretend he wasn't there.

"Star." Begrudgingly, she looked over at him. He stood with his feet apart and arms crossed, frowning as he looked down at her. "You know I'm not trying to split you and James up permanently, right?"

She tensed up, glaring at him. "You're not splitting us up at all."

He nodded slightly. "Thanks to Clint's safe house, we don't have to." Star's heartrate picked up at his phrasing; he clearly still saw splitting them up as a valid option.

Steve pursed his lips a moment, then spoke again. "I'm going to do whatever I need to in order to keep the two of you safe."

"He's safe with me," Star insisted.

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Is he?"

She felt her face flush, immediately remembering how her recent actions had placed James in more danger. But she held her ground. "He stays with me."

He studied her, and Star stayed rigid, determined not to let any doubts show through. To her surprise, Steve's expression softened. "I get it, Star. Trusting us is a risk. It scares you. But I promise, we're on your side in all this."

Something about Steve's words made her chest ache, though she didn't know why. Star wasn't even sure what her side was. Her goal was to keep James safe. Beyond that…she didn't know how to think beyond that.

Steve sighed and rubbed the back of his neck when she didn't say anything. "Clint and Natasha will be here soon. You'd better make sure you're packed up."

He turned and walked out. Star stood still for a moment before slowly moving to gather her things. There wasn't much to get. She stashed her clothes in her bag – except her jacket which she pulled on over her sweater – and then she was done.

Star slung her bag over her shoulder before walking over to the bed. She picked James up carefully, trying not to wake him. He squirmed a little, but didn't wake up. _Good. He needs rest._ Hopefully he'd sleep until they got to Clint's safe house.

A frown flickered across her face as it occurred to her that she had no actual idea where they were taking her and James. And Clint had said they were going to leave the two of them with strangers. People he apparently trusted, but still strangers. _Saying yes stopped them from trying to separate us. It'll do for now, and I'll figure out the rest later._

She went across the hall, and found Bruce still packing up the things they'd gotten for James. He glanced over at her when she came in and smiled a little. "All set?"

"Yes," Star said. She watched as he finished loading up the last of the items in a duffle bag. "Are you sure we can trust the people where Clint's taking us?"

"Clint knows how serious this is," Bruce said. "And he isn't likely to put you and James in danger. Besides, Clint has a pretty good track record when it comes to judging someone's character."

Star was unconvinced of Clint's skill in that regard. He had worked for a group that had been infiltrated by the Company – or Hydra, whatever – without realizing it.

Bruce rested a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed. "It's going to be okay, Star. I promise." He let go of her and moved towards the door. Star felt a pang of disappointment. It was so rare that people touched her gently, intending to comfort, and sometimes she just wished –

Well. It didn't matter.

Star followed Bruce out to the living room. The temperature had dropped a lot thanks to the broken windows letting in the winter air. James shivered against her. Star paused, and with a bit of maneuvering managed to get her jacket zipped up over him. _That should do it._

She glanced around. Broken glass still littered the floor near the windows, but the bodies of the attackers that had been left were noticeably absent. She wondered what they'd done with them, but didn't ask. Tony's Iron Man armor was also near the windows.

Tony and Steve walked into the living room, each carrying a bag, though Steve also had his shield. Tony's mouth twitched up when he saw how Star was carrying James, but he didn't mention it. He glanced past her out the windows and said, "I think that's them."

Star followed the direction of his gaze and saw a small plane approaching in the distance. _What'd Tony call it earlier? A quinjet?_ She thought that was right.

Her stomach growled. They'd been interrupted before they'd been able to make lunch. There probably wasn't time for a proper meal now, but maybe…

"Can we take snacks with us?" Star asked Tony.

"That is a great idea," Tony said. He dropped his bag to the carpet and headed for the pantry, rubbing his hands together. Star trailed after him, watching as he selected various boxes and bags. "Hey, you should try this." Tony started to hand her a tinfoil wrapped food, noted that she only had one free hand, and tugged the packaging open for her before handing it to her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"They're called poptarts," Tony said.

Star took a bite, and was totally unprepared for how sweet they were. "They're good," she said before eagerly taking another bite.

"Maybe pack up something other than just junk food," Steve said.

Tony waved a hand in acknowledgement, but made no verbal promises. Star glanced out the window again as she munched on the poptarts. The quinjet was getting close, and she followed its approach until it disappeared over the building. _Must be a landing pad on the roof._

"We'd better head up to meet them," Bruce said. "Ready, Tony?"

"All set," Tony cheerfully said, hoisting his bag of snacks. "I'll meet you up there."

He headed for his armor, and the rest of them piled into the elevator. "JARVIS, roof please," Bruce said.

The level they were on must have been close to the roof, because it was only a few seconds before the doors slid open again and they were greeted by a cold wind. James jerked awake despite being bundled under Star's jacket and let out an unhappy cry. Star started for the quinjet quickly; the sooner she got James out of the cold the better.

The ramp to the quinjet was already lowered. Natasha and Clint were coming down the ramp, Natasha pushing Randall along and Clint carrying someone else over his shoulder. Star couldn't see them well enough to tell who it was.

"Hey," Clint said. "We'll just get these two stashed real quick and then we'll be on our way."

Star was about to go up the ramp past them, but felt a hand on her shoulder pulling her back. She glanced up and saw it was Steve. He tugged her back to his side, and shifted forward slightly, putting himself between her and the others. _Why…?_ She understood when she saw he was glaring at Randall.

 _He's protecting us._

It seemed a bit of a wasted effort; Randall's hands were bound, he seemed unarmed, and even if he wasn't, he was just one guy. Star could take him, if it came to that, but it clearly wasn't going to. Still, considering everything that had happened earlier and the conversations that she'd just had with Steve, she didn't put up a fuss.

Once they'd passed by Steve glanced down at her and nodded, his hand slipping off her shoulder. Star took that as silent permission to go ahead and board. She went up the ramp and claimed one of the seats lining the edge of the quinjet. Once settled she unzipped her jacket a little to give James a bit more air. He fussed and kicked, clearly unhappy with all the movement that kept interrupting his nap.

The others followed after her; Star watched with interest as Tony boarded, still wearing his armor and holding the bag of snacks. He walked to an empty, out of the way spot and then the armor slid open, letting Tony step out and snag the bag from the armor's hand. He crossed over and flopped down in one of the seats beside Star.

"So, what do you want to try next?" he asked. Star looked in the bag with interest.

"Did you bring anything healthy?" Steve asked from his seat across the way.

Tony considered. "A bag of mixed nuts?"

Bruce snorted. "That's something, I guess."

Star spotted a bag labelled 'chocolate covered pretzels' and decided to go with that. As she was opening the bag, Clint and Natasha returned, heading for the seats at the front of the quinjet.

"You know," Tony said, as the ramp came up, "I'm still not thrilled about the idea of just leaving all the Hydra goons here."

"We alerted Fury," Natasha said. "He'll have them retrieved soon."

"Hopefully not by other Hydra people," Bruce mumbled. Star wasn't sure if they were supposed to have heard that or not.

She munched on the pretzels, and the combination of salty and sweet made her mouth water. She couldn't understand why Steve referred to the snacks as junk food. So far, they all tasted amazing.

"How long until we make it to your safe house?" Steve asked.

"A couple hours," Clint replied.

"And who exactly are the people you're planning to leave the kids with?" Tony asked.

"My wife," Clint said in the same casual tone of voice.

Tony's jaw dropped. Steve looked stunned. Bruce leaned forward in his seat.

"I'm sorry, your _what_?"

"His wife," Natasha said, glancing over her shoulder. "Don't tell me that with all your fancy education you never heard of wives."

"Of course – I mean," Bruce sputtered.

"Since when have you been married?" Tony demanded.

Clint tipped his head to the side. "Been married to Laura…ten years now?"

"Eleven," Natasha corrected.

"Right, right," Clint said.

Star kept munching on the pretzels, watching. She wasn't sure why this was a big deal, but it was kind of fascinating to see their reactions.

"Wait," Tony said, holding up a hand. "Back at Wal-Mart, when you acted like you knew stuff about toddlers…don't tell me you have a _kid_."

Star stilled, her hand hovering over the open pretzel bag.

"Two of them, last I checked," Clint said. "Lila is seven and Cooper is four."

 _He's got kids…_

Star had never interacted with kids before, other than James. She didn't know what they were like, or what they were supposed to do.

" _She is not a child. She is an asset; a soldier. You would do well to remember that."_

Tony, Steve, Bruce. They all insisted that Star was a kid. She didn't know what that meant, not really. This was an opportunity to learn, and suddenly Clint's safe house was exactly where Star wanted to be.

* * *

 **AN:** The MCU wiki was unhelpful in figuring out Lila and Cooper's ages, so I am full on Making Stuff Up in regards to the Barton family.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** Sorry about the long wait! Hopefully the extra long chapter makes up for it :)

* * *

"We're here," Clint called. Star pretended all her focus was on James to hide her nerves. She couldn't articulate why the thought of meeting Clint's family made her so nervous.

 _It's not meeting his wife that makes me nervous. It's his kids._

Which, when she considered it, was ridiculous. Lila and Cooper were just kids. They were younger and smaller than her, and probably only marginally less helpless than James.

 _They're just kids._

Just kids. Exactly what everyone was telling her she was supposed to be.

The quinjet landed, and Star shifted her hold on James. He'd napped most of the flight. He was awake now, but he didn't seem happy about it.

The ramp lowered, and Star stood from her seat, balancing James in one arm and slinging her bag over her shoulder with the other. The air outside was cold, and James let out an unhappy cry as it washed over them. Star bounced him a little. "You'll be fine."

The group walked down the ramp, and Star scanned the area. It was mostly fields, with the occasional bunch of trees here and there. Patches of snow dotted the ground and stubbornly clung to tree limbs. Not too far in the distance was a two story home, and beyond that a large barn.

"Here she is," Clint said, taking the lead. "Home sweet home."

"You live on a farm," Tony said.

"Uh huh," Clint agreed. "Got a garden and everything."

"Animals too?" Bruce asked, in a dry sort of tone that made Star think he expected the answer to be no.

"Chickens and a couple goats," Clint said. With a shrug, he added, "Kids are begging for a dog too. We'll probably give in soon."

Natasha cut her eyes towards Tony, Steve, and Bruce, a smile curving her lips. "The kids named the chickens after the team."

"The kids did what now?" Tony asked.

Before Clint or Natasha could respond, the front door flew open. Two small figures ran out with shrieks that had Star tensing up before she registered that they were cries of delight, not fear or anger. Clint crouched down, his arms wide open. The kids ran to him, throwing their arms around his neck and laughing as he lifted both of them into the air.

Star paused, watching the scene. She'd never seen such an enthusiastic greeting for anyone before. A woman appeared in the doorway of the house. She was wrapped in a sweater, her brown hair loose around her shoulders. "Come on in, before you let all the heat out of the house!" she called.

Clint led the way in, still carrying his kids. Everyone else trailed in after him. Star glanced around the house as they entered. It was smaller than the Tower, obviously, and it wasn't as open or bright either. But it was comfortable, decorated with warm colors, pictures of the family hanging on the wall, and even a small fire crackling in the fireplace. It felt friendly. Inviting.

"Everyone," Clint said, setting his kids down now that they were inside, "this is my wife, Laura, and my kids, Lila and Cooper. Family, this is everyone. Except Thor."

"Yes, we recognize them," Laura said. Her brown eyes landed on Star and James, and Star had to fight a sudden and unreasonable urge to hide behind Bruce. "Well, most of them."

"Right, right," Clint said, sounding as though he might have forgotten Star and James were there. She doubted he really had, given the entire point of coming here was to drop them off. "That's Star, and her brother, James."

Lila and Cooper stared up at them curiously. Star stared back. They were – as she'd expected – both smaller than her but bigger than James. They both looked like their mother, with her dark hair and eyes, though there was something about Lila's smile that reminded Star of Clint.

"It's nice to meet you," Laura said with a smile. She glanced down at her kids. "Lila, why don't you and Cooper take Star and James upstairs until supper is ready?"

"Okay," Lila said. She grinned at Star and motioned for her to follow.

Star hesitated. As much as she'd wanted to meet Lila and Cooper before, she was suddenly reluctant to leave the presence of the only people she was familiar with. Someone nudged her from behind, and she looked back to see Steve. He nodded his head, indicating for her to go.

She scowled up at him. It seemed like he was giving her instructions more and more, and Star wasn't sure she appreciated it. She didn't really have a reason to argue though, so she moved after them.

Lila took the stairs two at a time. Cooper was a little slower, holding onto the handrail. Star stuck close to him. She wasn't sure if he was as clumsy as James, and she didn't want him to trip over going up the wooden steps. Lila was waiting for them at the top, bouncing with energy.

"Mommy said Daddy's team was spending the night," Lila said. "Does that mean you're spending the night too?"

Star nodded. "We are." Probably for more than one night, but Star didn't try to get into those details now.

Lila clapped her hands together. "Awesome! We can have a sleepover!"

"I wanna sleepover too," Cooper said.

Lila eyed him, pursing her lips. "I suppose," she allowed. "James will need someone to play with."

Cooper grinned, looking up at Star and James. Star glanced down at James and saw that he was watching Cooper and Lila with interest. Probably not too surprising, given they were the first people anywhere close to his own size that he'd met.

"I'm sure James will like that," Star said. She hesitated then added, "He doesn't talk yet but he understands people, I think." She figured they ought to know, in case they tried to talk directly to him.

"That's okay," Cooper said. "Mommy says that Lila talks enough for two people anyway."

Lila gasped and put her hands on her hips. "Keep saying stuff like that and you'll be uninvited from the sleepover!"

Cooper looked offended. "But she does say that!"

Lila waved him off and refocused on Star. "Come on, I'll give you a tour of the upstairs." She started down the hall, a bounce in her step, and Star followed. The upstairs was mostly bedrooms, though Laura also had an office up there. Star couldn't tell from looking at it what the woman might use if for.

"And this is my room!" Lila declared, waving an arm to show off the space as they entered the last room.

Star slowly turned in a circle, taking it in. She'd never seen a room like this before, even counting the comfortable room she'd had at the Tower. Lila's room was _soft._ Flower patterned rugs were scattered on the floor. The comforter on the bed was pink and green, and the bed was smothered in pillows and stuffed animals. There was a bookshelf stacked with colorful books and games. Dolls sat at a small table in the corner set with tea cups. Pictures hung on the wall, and gauzy curtains framed a wide window that looked out over the snow covered fields.

Star couldn't help but picture the room that she'd had at the compound. It had been smaller than Lila's, with no rugs to soften the cement floor. There had been no windows, and certainly no pictures on the white walls. Only one pillow on her bed. One small dresser to hold her changes of clothing. Her room had been designed with only function in mind, not comfort.

" _You're a child."_

Was this what they thought her room was supposed to have been like? Was this what they all considered normal?

There was a lump in Star's throat, but Lila was grinning up at her, clearly waiting for a response, so Star forced her words around it. "It's nice. I like it."

Lila's grin widened. James kicked in Star's arms, making that insistent noise that meant he wanted down. She set him on the floor – taking a moment to set her bag aside as well – and James stumbled towards Lila's bed, reaching up for a stuffed bear that was hanging off the edge.

"That's Truffle," Lila said. She picked the bear up off the bed and handed it to James. "You can play with him." James nearly tumbled over when he took the bear – the toy was almost as big as he was. He managed to keep his balance though, and hugged the bear as he laughed. "Coop, you wanna show James the other animals?"

Cooper enthusiastically agreed. While he started pulling other stuffed animals off the bed, Lila took Star's hand and tugged her towards the bookcase. "Do you like to draw?"

"I don't know," Star said. "I've never done it before."

Lila's eyes went wide. "Really? I love drawing; Mommy lets me practice every day." She let go of Star's hand to reach for some books on the shelf. "See, these are my favorite coloring books, and this is my sketchbook! It's a real one too; Mommy and Daddy got it for me for my birthday."

Star obligingly flipped through the pages of the sketchbook. She didn't know enough to tell whether or not Lila was any good, but she liked the bold colors. "They're beautiful." Lila beamed. "What's a birthday?" Star asked absently. She'd never heard the term before.

The smile slipped off Lila's face. "You don't know what birthdays are?"

Discomfort crawled up Star's spine as she realized that this was something she was apparently supposed to know already. She shrugged as though it wasn't a big deal. "Nope. Haven't heard of them before."

Lila squinted up at her, and Star did her best to keep her expression neutral. "Birthdays are when you celebrate the day you were born, and there are presents and cake and stuff."

That explained why she'd never heard of them before. Star couldn't imagine anything like that happening at the compound. "Okay, thanks for telling me."

She studied Star for a moment longer, and Star couldn't guess what Lila might be thinking. Without warning, Lila turned back to the bookshelf, tugging the largest book. "Do you like reading?"

"I do," Star said, relieved she could properly answer something.

Lila held up the book for Star to see. "This is my favorite book; it's got a bunch of fairytales. Mommy usually reads me one for my bedtime story. Want to read some?"

"Sure." Star was willing to see whatever Lila wanted to show her. The girl sprawled out on the floor. Star sat beside her. Though this was supposed to be a safe house, Star couldn't quite bring herself to lay down the way Lila had.

Cooper spotted them and immediately came their way. "Read the one about the witch and the candy house, Lila!"

"Okay, okay," Lila said, flipping through the pages.

James came their way at a slower pace than Cooper had. Star held out an arm towards him, and he willingly stumbled into her lap. Lila had found the page she was looking for and James leaned forward, his attention caught by the colorful picture at the start of the story. It showed a dark forest, and a man and a woman leading two children into it.

Lila launched into the story, and her dramatic reading and Cooper's anticipation suggested they were familiar with the story already. It didn't take long for Star to get caught up in the story as well.

It started off grim; a family without enough to eat, so the parents took their children to the wood and left them to starve. Star's hold on James tightened. It sounded like the practical sort of decision that Hydra would make, casting out the least useful people in hard times.

 _Bruce wouldn't do that._

After all, Bruce was the one that had insisted adults were supposed to take care of kids even if they weren't useful, and he was going out of his way to help her and James, even though they weren't his kids. So were the other Avengers. When she thought about it, Star had a hard time imagining any of them abandoning kids the way the parents in the story did.

Lila kept reading. Star smiled when Gretel had a plan to get herself and her brother out of the woods, and felt keen disappointment when it failed. She frowned when they found the house made of candy, because it screamed of a trap. She wasn't surprised when the witch captured them, but she was appalled to learn her plan.

"She wants to eat them?" Star asked. She might have thought that Lila read it wrong, but Star could see the words on the page for herself.

Lila glanced up at her. "Just Hansel. She wants to keep Gretel as her slave."

" _It's useless. Schedule it to be decommissioned."_

" _She is not a child. She is an asset; a soldier."_

James squirmed, and Star forced herself to relax her grip on him. Lila was still looking up at her, frowning now. "If it's too scary, I can read a different story."

"I'm fine." The words were automatic. "I want to know how it ends."

Lila nodded and kept reading, revealing Gretel's plan to save her brother. A sort of grim satisfaction flickered through Star as they overcame the witch, bringing her down by burning her to death in her own oven. It'd be a horrible way to kill someone, but it wasn't like Gretel had had many options in her story. _She was protecting her brother. She had to._

The story wound to an end, and Star felt a jolt of shock at the conclusion. Gretel discovered gold in the witch's house, and with it she and Hansel returned to their parents and had a joyful reunion. The end.

"Why would they go back?" Star asked as Lila closed the book.

"Huh?" Lila asked. "They went home."

"But why?" Star asked. "Their parents already proved they'll abandon them at the first sign of difficulty. Why would they go back to them?"

Lila frowned, and glanced over at Cooper. He shrugged, raising his hands in an uncertain gesture. "I don't know," Lila said. "I never really thought about it. I guess 'cause they're their parents?"

Star pursed her mouth, debating on whether she should ask her next question or not. She had a feeling it was going to be another of those things she was supposed to know already, but she didn't, and she'd never find out if she didn't ask. "Why are parents so important?"

Lila's eyes went wide and she sat up, twisting around to face her. "What do you mean? They're your parents, of course they're important!"

"James and I don't have parents," Star said. She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I don't get it."

Their jaws dropped. "What happened to them?" Cooper asked.

Star shook her head. "Nothing happened to them. They never existed."

"But they had to!" Lila insisted, leaning forward. "Everyone has parents at some point; that's where kids come from."

She hesitated, glancing between Lila and Cooper. Star wasn't sure how much they knew about SHIELD or what was going on, and she wasn't certain how much she wanted to say. They were little, and sweet, and Star didn't want to tell them anything they weren't supposed to know or that might upset them.

 _I guess they're already sort of upset about us not having parents though._

Star felt like she had to tell them something as they stared up at her with wide, worried eyes. "James and I weren't born like other kids. We were made…by scientists. We're actually clones of Steve Rogers."

They were both quiet for a moment. Then Cooper asked, "What's a clone?"

"It means that the scientists grew us from Steve's DNA," Star explained.

"Oh," Cooper said. He frowned. "What's DNA?"

Star sighed and looked up at the ceiling, trying to figure out the simplest way to explain the concept of DNA to a four year old. The task was made trickier by the fact that she really didn't fully understand it all herself, she just remembered the things that she'd overheard the scientists at the compound saying.

Lila waved a hand. "That doesn't matter."

 _Oh, good._

She pointed at Star. "What matters is it sounds like Captain Rogers is your dad."

"What?" Star asked blankly. "No he's not."

"They made you guys from him, right?" Lila asked. An over simplified way of putting it, but more or less true, so Star nodded. "Then that means he's your dad."

"I'm not sure it works like that," Star said.

"Sure it does," Lila said, all smiles once more. "Captain Rogers is your dad!"

Uncertainty fluttered through her. "It's different for clones," Star insisted. James started squirming out of her hold, and Star let him go, relieved to have a distraction from the current conversation. He headed for the door, so Star stood to follow him. "James, where do you think you're going?"

He glanced back at her, but didn't pause on his way to the door. "He might be hungry," Lila said hopping up from the floor. "Smells like dinner could be ready."

"Yay, dinner!" Cooper cheered, scrambling up and booking it for the door too. "Mommy's making spaghetti."

Star didn't know what that was, but savory smells were drifting upstairs. She followed after them, moving quick enough that she was able to pick James up before he was able to try and go down the stairs by himself. James let out a cry of protest, but Star was unmoved. He was wobbly enough when walking on floors, Star didn't dare let him try stairs just yet.

Once at the bottom of the steps she set him down again. He immediately took off, following Lila and Cooper towards the kitchen. Star took a moment to look around and see where everyone was. Clint and Laura were in the kitchen, finishing up the food it looked like. Natasha was getting bottles of juice out of the fridge, Steve and Bruce were setting the table. Tony was collecting glasses out of a cabinet.

"Kids can sit at the table," Clint called.

Lila and Cooper came to a halt at the doorway to the kitchen. James didn't stop in time, bumping into Cooper, which then caused James to stumble back and trip over his feet. He let out a sharp cry when he hit the ground.

Star sprang forward, but Steve was closer. Two steps had him there and he scooped James up.

"Is he okay?" Cooper asked.

Steve flashed a smile at him. "He'll be fine. I don't think he's actually hurt."

True to his assessment, James was already settling down in the seconds it took Star made it to Steve's side. She reached up and brushed the few tears that had spilled over on his cheeks. James sniffled and laid his head on Steve's shoulder, apparently deciding he'd rather stay there now that he'd had a fall.

"Would you help Bruce finish setting the table?" Steve asked.

Star hesitated half a second. _I guess James is fine with Steve._

It just felt a little awkward after her conversation with Lila and Cooper. _I hope they won't say anything about that._

She moved to help Bruce, though there wasn't much left to do. Star helped him finish laying out silverware as Lila and Cooper claimed their seats. "Auntie Nat," Lila said over the bustle. "Will you sit by me?"

"Sure, Lila," Natasha said. "What do you kids want to drink? Your options are apple juice, grape juice, milk, or water."

Lila and Cooper called out their answers. "Star, you're included in the kids' group," Natasha said. "What'll you have?"

"Oh, um, apple juice," Star said. She shouldn't be surprised at this point about being lumped in with the kids, but somehow she was. She took the seat beside Cooper, in part to keep herself out of the way.

"And what's James drinking?" Natasha asked.

Star looked her way as she thought over the answer, but realized that the question hadn't been directed towards her at all. Natasha was asking Steve.

 _Why would she ask him?_

Steve looked as surprised as Star felt, but he answered anyway. "Milk should be good."

"Coming right up," Natasha said.

Star scowled. Not over Steve's choice - milk probably was just fine - but she wasn't comfortable with the idea that Natasha had decided Steve was the one that needed to make it. Star stole a glance at Steve. Maybe Natasha just asked him because he was the one holding James.

Bruce walked over to Steve. "Do you want to feed him his supper then? I was going to, but I'm not sure he'll let go of you right now."

"I'm sure he would," Steve said. He started to tug James away, but James let out a cry and clung to him. "Or maybe you're right."

"You're chaperoning with me then," Natasha said as she left the kitchen, drinks in her hand. She set them down in front of the kids, and placed James's sippy cup at the end seat on Star's right.

"Hey, what do the adults want to drink?" Tony asked.

As the adults called out their preferences, Steve took the seat Natasha had assigned him, settling James in his lap. James brightened as he spotted the cup, leaning forward and reaching out for it. Star nudged it into his reach.

"I come bearing gifts!" Tony said as he left the kitchen. He handed Bruce his drink and Steve his. "Also, I call dibs on the last table seat."

"That means you help with the kids," Clint said cheerfully from the kitchen.

Tony didn't seem to mind the assignment. Everyone settled in their places, those that couldn't fit at the table claiming chairs in the living room. Lila and Cooper carried most of the conversation at the table, reporting about the things that had happened since they'd last seen Natasha. Star watched and listened, taking advantage of the opportunity to learn more about how the world actually worked, and filing away bits of information she didn't understand to ask questions about later.

As Lila wound down a story about a new game she'd learned at school, she suddenly turned to Star. "What's your favorite game?"

"Chess," Star answered. She saw surprise cross Tony and Steve's faces at her answer. Natasha looked intrigued.

"Are you any good?" she asked.

She hadn't played chess since the first James had left, but she still remembered the hours he'd spent teaching her, all the different strategies that she'd memorized. She thought she might be good, but she'd only ever played against James. It was hard to judge her skill level from just one opponent. "Maybe," Star answered.

"Clint has a chess set," Natasha said. "We can play a game after dinner."

"Okay," Star said. Anticipation and wariness tugged at her as she twirled the last of her spaghetti on her fork. She liked chess, and the chance to play again was something to look forward to. At the same time, Star was unsure what Natasha's motive might be. Why make the offer? Besides, didn't they have more important things to concern themselves with right now? They should be coming up with a strategy for defeating Hydra.

 _Maybe they had that meeting while I was upstairs with the kids._ She frowned at the thought. Even if they didn't want to involve her in any of the actual fighting, Star at least wanted to know what the plan was. She could guess they were planning to spend the night here. They'd need a safe place to rest for the night, and from what had been said, this was probably the safest place for that. Even then, it seemed to Star they ought to be doing something, even if she wasn't sure what.

"Did you want another plate, Half Pint?" Tony asked.

"No thanks," Star said. "I'm full." The pile of snacks she'd eaten on the way over hadn't left her as hungry for dinner as she usually was.

"Lila, would you show Star where the chess set is?" Natasha asked. She stood and started reaching for plates. "I'll put these up and join you in a minute."

"Sure," Lila said, hopping out of her seat. Star followed, and she could hear Cooper and James scrambling after them. Lila led them to a bookcase in the living room. Two of the shelves were stacked with board games, and Star let her eyes drift over the colorful cardboard boxes until she spotted the one labeled chess.

"You can set it up on the coffee table," Laura told her, picking up her own dishes to make room for the game.

Star glanced her way and nodded. "Thanks." She carried the chess set over to the coffee table. Star settled on the floor and started setting up the pieces. Lila claimed a spot beside her, but Cooper and pulled James's attention to a small chest of toys under a window.

"Chess is hard," Lila said as Star carefully set the pieces in place.

"It can be," Star said. She was only half paying attention to Lila though, as she picked up the queen. She ran her thumb over the contours of the piece, lost in memories.

" _The queen is your most powerful piece, Star. Don't ever sacrifice her without a very good reason."_

"Ready, Star?" Natasha's voice broke through her thoughts. Star blinked and looked up as Natasha sat on the opposite side of the coffee table, settling on the floor and leaning back against the couch instead of claiming the empty seat.

"I'm ready," Star said placing the queen on the board where it belonged.

"Giving me the first move?" Natasha said, nodding towards the white pieces in front of her.

Star shrugged. She wanted to see what strategy Natasha was going to go with; then Star would know how best to counter it. Natasha's mouth turned up slightly, and she moved one of the pawns. Star's mind flickered through the different strategies she knew that started with that particular move. She could think of four. _The best set up for a counter would be..._ Star made her move, and Natasha only considered the board for a moment before she made hers. The noises of the house and the quiet conversation faded into the background as Star focused on the game.

"You are pretty good at this." Star almost jumped at the sound of Bruce's voice. She'd forgotten that he was still seated in his chair in the living room. He was leaning forward, arms resting on his thighs as he watched the game. "You must have practiced a lot."

"I used to," Star said, turning her attention back to the board.

" _She's not a child. She shouldn't be playing games."_

" _She is a - she needs a way to develop critical thinking skills and strategies. Chess can help her do that. And everyone needs some kind of downtime, even super soldiers."_

The back and forth between Dr. Miller and James had gone on for a while, but eventually James had won that one. They'd played chess almost every night after that. It had been Star's favorite part of the day.

"Used to?" Natasha asked. She was studying the pieces on the board intently, her tone distracted. "Why'd you stop?"

The answer slipped out without a thought. "James left, and no one else was willing to play with me."

"James?" Lila pipped up. "But James is right here?"

Star went rigid, but it was too late to take the words back. She hadn't meant to tell them about James. She'd wanted to keep him her secret, because he may have worked for Hydra, but he'd been her friend too. There was nothing for it now though, because the words had been said, and Natasha and Bruce were watching her, and she could only guess from the sudden hush in the kitchen that the other adults were listening. "Not little James," Star said. Her words came slowly. "The first James. The one I named him after."

Natasha tipped her head. "It's a shame no one kept playing with you. Where'd he go?"

Star shifted, the memory of her last, strange conversation with him playing through her mind again. _"I should never have let them do this to you, even if...you're just a kid."_

Her breath hitched. Kid. James had said she was a kid. The only other people that had referred to her as a kid were the Avengers, and they'd also made it clear how wrong they'd thought the things Hydra had done to her were, especially because she was a kid.

" _I just need you to be ready to go when I say tomorrow."_

It seemed so obvious to her now and Star felt stupid for not having figured it out sooner. James had seen her as a kid, and he'd planned to take her away from Hydra. Except he hadn't come in the day he was supposed to take her.

 _Dr. Miller said he was transferred._

Dr. Miller lied. She lied and she lied, and Star didn't believe her anymore. She felt certain that James had not been transferred. Dr. Miller must have found out his plan somehow, and if that had happened, then there was no doubt that James was dead.

 _They killed him. They killed him because he wanted to protect me._

"Star?" Lila asked. Star barely heard her past the rushing in her ears. Words clogged in the lump in her throat, and Star wanted to scream. She wanted to break something. To lash out at anyone. Lila's fingertips grazed her arm, and Star abruptly shoved herself up. She couldn't stay in the house, not around the kids, not when she felt like this.

"Hey, wait a - " Bruce started, but Star didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence. She bolted for the front door, slammed through it. The cold night air hit her like a slap in the face. Star jumped over the porch steps and took off at a sprint, pushing her legs to carry her as fast as she could go. She was past the barn and in the fields before she registered the sound of footsteps behind her. There was only one person that could keep up with her, and Star didn't want to talk to him. She pushed to go faster, adjusting her course to take her to the wooded area.

"Star, stop!" Steve called after her. She ignored him, hurtling through the woods at a reckless pace. She dodged around trees, crashed through dry, dead brush. Steve's arm suddenly circled around her waist, yanking her back towards him and lifting her feet off the ground.

"Let me go!" She tried to jerk away from him without success. Steve adjusted his hold on her.

"Calm down," he told her.

Calm down? How could she calm down? James was dead because of _her_ and she'd never even realized, and now it was too late for her to do anything at all.

 _He's gone and it's my fault!_

Star sagged, feeling like all the strength had suddenly drained out of her. The trees in front of her went blurry as tears welled up, and a sob escaped her. "I've got you," Steve said, his voice gentler. He lifted her up, getting one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back to carry her. Star curled into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. He didn't say anything as he carried her back towards the house, letting Star cry. By the time they made it back, Star had cried herself out.

 _I should get down,_ Star thought vaguely as Steve started up the porch steps. But Steve wasn't trying to put her down, and if she was being honest, Star didn't want him to. She desperately wanted to lean on someone else for a little while. She heard the front door open, and Tony's voice followed. "Is she okay?"

"She's not hurt," Steve said. Warm air surrounded them as he walked into the house. Star heard the door close behind them. She kept her face buried in Steve's shoulder, not looking up until he sat on the couch, settling her down in his lap. One hand rubbed her back, much the way he'd done for James before, and Star felt some of the tension leave her.

Tony sat on the couch beside them, worry pulling his mouth down in a frown. Bruce sat in the same armchair he'd been in before, leaning forward his hands clasped loosely in front of him. Natasha was perched on the arm of another chair, arms crossed and face unreadable. Star could hear Clint doing something in the kitchen, and Laura and the kids were nowhere to be seen. Star guessed they'd have gone upstairs, and she was glad. She didn't want the kids seeing her upset like this.

"Okay," Steve said. "Clearly we need to talk."

Star cringed. She wasn't exactly surprised by his words, but she still didn't want to talk about it.

The microwave in the kitchen dinged. "Hold on a sec!" Clint called out. A clinking noise followed his words, then he came out of the kitchen holding a mug. "A talk like this needs something to help." He walked over to the couch and held out the mug to Star. "Here you go; hot chocolate with extra marshmallows."

Star hesitated to let go of Steve - would he make her move when she did? - but the drink smelled good, and it seemed rude to leave Clint standing there with it. She unwound her arms from Steve's neck and was relieved when he didn't try to make her move. She took the mug from Clint with a quiet thank you, and he went and sat in the chair Natasha was on.

"What was all that about, Half Pint?" Tony asked.

Star sipped at her drink, but she knew she couldn't stall answering forever. "I just...I realized something. I should have figured it out sooner. I think Hydra killed James." A lump built in her throat again at the words. She flexed her fingers on the mug, trying not to hold it too tightly.

"What makes you say that?" Bruce asked.

"The last day I saw him, he was agitated," Star said. James had been jumpy, stammering over sentences. She'd put it down to too much coffee, which wasn't unusual for him. Her chest ached as she realized that he'd probably been nervous about his plan, whatever it had consisted of, to get her out of the compound, and his nerves were likely what had gotten him caught. James had been brilliant, a scientist like Dr. Miller, but he'd never been a fighter; he'd gotten winded once chasing her up a flight of stairs. _He never stood a chance._

"That afternoon, he got me alone, and he told me he was sorry." She stared at the hot chocolate and melting marshmallows in her mug. "He said that he should never have let them do the things they'd done to me, even if..."

"Even if?" Steve prompted.

Star glanced up at him. "I don't know. He didn't finish saying. But he told me to be ready to go the next day when he said. Only - only he never came back." She had to take a deep breath. "Dr. Miller said he was unexpectedly transferred. I think - I think he was going to try and take me away. They must have found out, and..."

Star set the mug down on the coffee table, even though she wasn't done with the drink. She wanted to break something again, but knew she shouldn't break any of Clint's stuff.

"You really cared about him," Bruce said. Star looked around at them, and saw they didn't understand.

"James was my friend," she insisted. Maybe they couldn't see that. Maybe they could only see that he'd worked for Hydra, but he'd been kind to her. James was the one that had played games with her, the one that had praised her for doing well, the one that would argue with Dr. Miller on her behalf, the one that tried to put limits on the tests they did with her. He was the one that had given her a name.

It had hurt, when she'd thought he'd left her without a word. Knowing that he hadn't left, that he'd been killed because of her, that was worse.

"Okay," Bruce said. "We believe you."

Maybe Bruce did, but Star wasn't convinced about the others. It probably didn't matter what they thought. James was dead. It wasn't like they could do anything more to him. Star still hated the idea of anyone thinking poorly of him.

"That's what made you run off then," Steve said. "Realizing what had happened."

Star nodded. She didn't know what else she could have done in that moment.

"I've got an idea," Clint said. He abruptly stood from his chair and pointed a finger at Star. "You, come with me. But no crowds."

She hesitated, glancing back up at Steve. He paused for a moment, but nodded. "Go on, Star."

"We're not going far," Clint said. "Just out to the barn."

The barn wasn't that far, and Clint was opening up his home to her. Somewhat reluctantly, Star stood and followed Clint out the front door. She felt the cold air a bit more acutely this time, and was glad when they made it to the relative warmth of the barn. "Why are we out here?" she ventured to ask as Clint led her towards a door at the back of the barn.

He shrugged. "You kind of look like you want to hit something. So I thought - " he opened the door and flicked on a light, " - I'd give you a way to do that."

She followed him into the room, and looked around. The back half of the barn had been converted into a personal gym. All of the equipment seemed to be quality and in good condition, but Star's attention was drawn to the punching bag near the back.

"Think fast," Clint said before tossing something her way. Star snatched it out of the air on reflex to discover it was wraps for her hands. "You know how to put those on?"

"I do," she said. Anticipation crawled through her, and she began deftly wrapping her hands. Clint sat down on the bench of one of the machines, watching her.

"It's an old bag, so I don't care if you bust it," Clint said. "I've been planning to order a new one for a while anyway. But it's the only one that's here at the moment, so the sooner you bust it, the sooner you run out of things to hit."

Star nodded. "Got it." Her hands securely wrapped, Star tugged off her sweater, leaving her in the T-shirt underneath. She wished she were wearing something other than jeans, but it would have to do. Tossing the sweater aside, Star walked over to the punching bag. She took a moment to settle into her stance.

Breathe in. Breath out.

 _Move._


	15. Chapter 15

Steve excused himself from the group once Star was gone with Clint. Pulling on a jacket, he escaped to the back porch. _I just need a few minutes._

The cold air was bracing, and when he sighed he could see his breath cloud up in front of him. Steve ran a hand over his head. _She really scared me._ Star's flight from the house had been completely unexpected. He'd had no idea what had set her off, or where she'd planned to go. He leaned forward, gripping the handrails that surrounded the porch. The sound of her sobs still echoed in his mind, and it tugged at something inside of Steve.

The back door opened, and Steve glanced over his shoulder to see Natasha strolling towards him. "Hey," she said. She walked up beside him and turned so she could lean her back against the rail. "So, that was dramatic."

Steve eyed her. "Does SHIELD offer a course in understatement that I'm not aware of?"

A smile ghosted over her face. "Nope. It's all me."

He huffed a little, looking back out over the rail. There wasn't much to see now that the sun was down. "What's Clint doing with Star?" he asked. Natasha would know, if anyone did.

"He's got a personal gym in the barn," Natasha said. "My guess, he's letting her hit the punching bag."

Steve nodded. He'd worked out grief that way more than once. He wasn't sure he liked the method for Star though. _Not really my place to make that decision._

Whose place was it then?

"Fury is going to ask Randall about James," Natasha said.

Steve turned so he was facing her. "Why?"

Natasha crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not convinced they killed him."

His brow furrowed. "How'd you come to that conclusion?" Killing a potential threat to their operation was exactly the sort of thing Hydra would do.

She lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. "It depends what he was doing for them. From what Star said, it sounds like they might have been forcing him to work for them. He must have been doing something relatively important for them to go through the trouble. There's a chance that they kept him alive, and just moved him somewhere else." She looked up at him. "I wouldn't mention this to Star, though. He might be alive, but chances are also good that she's right, and they did kill him."

"But if you're right, and he's still alive, he'll likely have a lot of valuable information for us," Steve said.

Natasha turned to face him. "Exactly."

"Any updates from Fury about our next move?" Steve asked. They were staying at the farm to give Fury time to dig, to see exactly how deep Hydra went, and hopefully come up with a plan to get rid of them. Fighting Hydra now wasn't the same as fighting them in the war. There weren't Hydra bases to break into; nowhere for him to rush weapons blazing. They weren't at war, and most people didn't even know that Hydra still existed. This time Hydra needed to be exposed, rounded up, and arrested. It was more complicated.

Natasha shook her head. "Not yet." The relaxed expression on her face slipped into a frown.

"You okay?" Steve asked. If this felt like a betrayal to him, he imagined it must to Natasha as well. She'd been with SHIELD far longer than he had.

She didn't answer him right away. Natasha tipped her head back, looking up towards the second story of the house. "Did I ever tell you how I joined SHIELD?"

"You were an assassin," Steve said. "Clint was sent to eliminate you, but he recruited you instead."

"That's the basic version," Natasha said. She met his gaze. "My parents were murdered when I was six. I was taken to the Red Room. It was a program designed to take little girls and turn us into weapons." She paused, and Steve stayed quiet, waiting. Her mouth twisted up in a bitter half smile. "It worked. I could kill, and I didn't feel anything. Not at first. Eventually..."

She turned away from him, facing out into the darkness and leaned her forearms on the railing. "When Clint offered me the chance to work for SHIELD, I thought it could be a way to atone. To wipe out some of the red in my ledger. It hasn't quite worked out the way I thought."

"I'm sorry," Steve said.

Natasha looked up at him. "What's done is done. We can't change that. All we can do now is deal with what we've got."

"What we've got right now is a mess," Steve said. Hydra, Bucky, the kids. Steve was at a loss for where to start.

Natasha let out a chuckle. "Now who's going for understatement?"

Steve allowed a wry smile of his own. "I guess it's catching." A breeze kicked up and Steve shivered. "We should head back inside."

Natasha seemed unruffled by the cold. She looked out over the yard again. "I think I'm going to stay here a little longer."

"You want company?" Steve offered.

She shook her head. "I'm fine. You go on in."

"If you're sure," Steve said, turning back towards the door.

"Steve," she called out as he reached for the handle. He paused and looked back at her. "They were trying to make Star a weapon. They were doing a good job of it; I saw the recording of the fight at the tower."

"She's not a weapon," Steve said sharply, his heart quickening in his chest.

Natasha looked back at him, shadows cast over her face. "She doesn't know that. Someone has to teach her."

He thought he understood where Natasha was going, and he shook his head. "It's a bad idea, Nat. I can't..."

"Why not?"

Steve stared at her, at a loss for words. He felt like it should be obvious, but he found that he couldn't articulate any of the reasons why it would never work.

"You don't want kids?" she asked.

"That's not it," Steve said, then winced, rubbing a hand over his face. Once, he'd dreamed of having a family. A home. Then he'd gone into the ice, and when he'd come out, everyone had been gone. His dream had gone with them. "I have no idea how to help them."

"It's been my observation that most first-time parents don't," Natasha said. Steve flinched at that word. He wasn't -

He was the closest thing they had. Star and James had come from him, and they shared his blood. Still...

"They deserve someone better," Steve said. They deserved to have a family that was steady and stable, someone that actually knew how to take care of kids. Someone that could always be there for them, who wasn't running off and risking life and limb on a regular basis.

Natasha's brow quirked up. "Someone better than their father?"

Hearing it stated so plainly felt like a sucker punch. Father. He'd fought in a war, undergone an experimental treatment to become superhuman, even faced an alien invasion, and somehow none of that had scared him the way that one word did.

Natasha's face softened, and she turned to face him fully, leaning her back against the railing. "You don't have to do it alone, you know. We'll help." Her mouth turned up in a wry smile. "I don't think you could stop Tony from spoiling them at this point."

Steve made a sound that was almost a laugh. "That's probably true." Quiet settled over them for a moment. "I don't know if I can do it, Nat."

Natasha didn't say anything for a long moment, her breaths forming small puffs of white in the cold air. Finally, she shrugged. "It's up to you." She turned away, looking back out in the distance. Steve went inside.

Laura, Tony, and Bruce were in the kitchen, cleaning up from supper. "Steve," Laura said when she spotted him, "the kids are staying in Lila's room. James went right to sleep when I got him settled."

"Oh, good," Steve said, trying not to show the panic that fluttered under his skin at Laura's easy assumption that he'd want to know this, or worse still, the realization that she was right. "Anything I can do to help?" Anything to distract him.

"Actually," Laura said, "if you'll take over washing the dishes, I need to finish getting the guest room ready."

Steve quickly agreed, taking Laura's place at the sink. Tony was drying, and Bruce was wiping down the counters. "Is Natasha staying outside?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah," Steve said. "She said she'll be in soon."

They fell silent, the only sound the clinking of the dishes as Steve washed them. Tony was the one to break the silence. "Do you think Star was right? That that James person was actually a friend?"

"I'm not sure." Given how she'd been raised so far, Star had a pretty skewed sense of what was supposed to be normal. There was every chance that James hadn't been as good of a person as what she thought. Steve wasn't going to say anything about it to Star though. Despite what Natasha had said, Steve felt like Star was probably correct in assuming that Hydra had had James killed, which meant arguing about whether or not he'd actually been a good person wasn't really worth it right now.

The front door opened about the time they finished cleaning the kitchen, letting in Clint and Star. Steve found himself looking that way, assessing Star with a quick once over. She was holding her sweater in her hand instead of wearing it, and Steve had to bite his tongue to stop from commenting on the cold. The walk from the barn wasn't that far, and she'd worked up a sweat. Star probably hadn't even really felt the cold on the short walk back. Her face was flushed, and stray locks of hair had fallen out of her braid, but she seemed calmer than she had when she'd left. Mission sort of accomplished, then.

"I'm sure you want to shower," Clint was saying, "so you can head on up. You kids are all sleeping in Lila's room tonight."

Star nodded without looking at Clint, her eyes instead darting around to do a sweep of the room, noting the three of them in the kitchen. "Goodnight, Star," Bruce said. "Sleep well."

She pursed her lips for a second, and she nodded again. "Goodnight."

Steve watched as she went up the stairs. The memory of carrying her while she'd curled up crying in his arms tugged at him. She tried so hard to be strong – and she was strong, strong enough to have survived everything that Hydra had thrown at her, strong enough to have taken James from them and run. But she was still just a _kid_ ; she shouldn't have to be that strong. She shouldn't have had to endure the things that had been done to her.

 _I want to fix it._

He wasn't sure that was truly possible. Steve couldn't change what Star had been through. He couldn't even hope that time would dull her memories, because he knew it wouldn't. Well, maybe he couldn't do anything about what had happened in her past, but he could do something about her future. Hydra would never touch her again; not on Steve's watch.

The back door opened and Natasha walked inside. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to get some sleep. Could be the last good night we have for a little while."

Her declaration prompted the others to drift towards the stairs, but Steve didn't follow. "You planning to stay up?" Clint asked.

"Yeah," Steve said. "Not really tired." He didn't say that he probably wouldn't sleep at all that night. He'd be fine without it, since he'd had a full night of sleep the night before. After the attack on Avenger's Tower, Steve didn't feel comfortable leaving the house unguarded, even if it wasn't on SHIELD's radar.

Clint stretched his arms above his head. "If you say so. Make yourself at home down here then."

They went upstairs, and Steve made a quiet circuit of the ground floor, checking to make sure that doors and windows were locked. He could hear the muffled sounds of the others preparing for bed, but after a while the noises stopped and he was the only one up. Steve ended his circuit back in the living room. He let his eyes trail around the room again, but this time instead of looking at it for security, he was just studying what was there.

It was obviously a room designed for a family. The built-in bookshelves that flanked the fireplace were stacked with board games, books, and movies. Interspersed between the piles were framed photos. Steve drifted that way to study them; he spotted one of the Barton family at the beach, another of them at Disney World. There was a picture of Lila and Cooper opening presents by a Christmas tree, and another of Clint and Laura at their wedding.

Steve picked up the picture of them at the beach and studied it. They seemed so happy, Lila and Cooper especially. _This is what Star and James deserve._ If Steve did as Natasha suggested, all Star and James would have would be…him. How could he be enough?

 _Mom was enough._

Steve carefully set the photo back down as he turned that thought over in his head. In his earliest memories, it had just been Steve and his mother. She'd been gone a lot, working long hours as a nurse, but Steve had never once doubted how much she loved him. He could clearly remember the thrill he'd get when she came home from work, the way she'd smile and laugh when he ran to greet her. All on her own, Sarah Rogers had been enough.

Maybe Steve could be too.

* * *

Star stared at the ceiling, and wondered for the hundredth time when she'd be able to get up. Lila, Cooper, and James were all piled on Lila's bed, still sleeping deeply judging by the sound of their breathing. Star had been given a small air mattress piled with blankets. She hadn't really slept during the night; she'd dozed here and there, but she'd just had a full night of sleep. She didn't really need more.

The digital clock on Lila's nightstand declared it to be a little after five when Star heard faint sounds of movement in the kitchen. The sounds were quiet enough that they probably wouldn't be heard by someone with normal hearing, meaning whoever it was probably didn't mean for anyone to wake up, but Star was tired of laying there with only her thoughts for company, and this was as good an excuse as any to get up.

She carefully rolled out of the bed. She paused for a moment, wondering if she should change out of her pajamas, but decided against it. Star didn't want to risk waking up any of the kids. She slipped out of the door into the hallway, and caught the scent of coffee. She followed it down the stairs, silent in her sock covered feet, and she couldn't say she was really surprised when she saw that Steve was the one in the kitchen.

Steve turned slightly, then started when he caught sight of Star. "I didn't hear you get up," he said. He kept his voice low and soft.

Star shrugged a little. "I was trying to be quiet."

He smiled a little at that, but the expression faded away quickly as the two stared at each other. After a moment Steve cleared his throat. "Ah, if you're thirsty, you can help yourself. The cups are up there." He gestured to one of the cabinets.

She was thirsty, so she got a glass and went to the fridge to see what her options were. She decided to try grape juice, and it gave her a little flicker of satisfaction that she was just able to choose this.

Steve sat at the table with his cup of coffee, and Star sat across from him with her juice. "Actually, I'm glad you're up," Steve said. "I wanted to speak to you."

Star eyed him, wondering what this could be about. He didn't have that stern look he got whenever the topic of Hydra came up, so probably not that. He looked almost uncertain, fiddling with the handle of his mug. "Okay," Star said.

He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "You asked me the other day what would happen to you and James once this was all over."

Star nodded slowly. "You said you didn't know."

"I did," Steve agreed. "But I've been thinking about it." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "You don't have to say yes, if this isn't what you want. This is just an option. But if you do want to, then you and James could – you could live with me."

"With you?" Star echoed blankly.

"Yeah," Steve said. He paused, but when Star didn't say anything he shrugged slightly, his fingers drumming against his mug. "Like I said, you don't have to. But the offer's there, if you want it."

Star dropped her eyes to her drink. She had no idea what to say. She'd never expected Steve to make such an offer, and she didn't know if she wanted to take him up on it.

" _Captain Rogers is your dad!"_

She glanced up at him. Was he? Was that how this worked, even though she and James were clones? Star realized that she was too afraid to ask. Because if he said _no,_ that would hurt. It wouldn't be a surprise, but it would still hurt. If Steve said _yes,_ then…she didn't know what. But the idea scared her.

"Can I think about it?" she asked instead.

Steve nodded. "Of course. You don't have to decide anything right now. There's plenty of time."

Silence fell over them, each nursing their drinks and their own thoughts. What would living with Steve be like? Star realized that she didn't know much of anything about him. She knew what Hydra had had on him, but that had mostly been information about his abilities. She knew that he'd fought Hydra in the past. She knew he didn't like kids being in danger, and that he saw her as a kid and not a soldier. She knew that for some reason he'd decided it was his job to help her and James. That was about it.

 _If I'm going to make a decision this big, I should know more about him._

"Can I ask a question?" Star asked. They'd said she could, and they hadn't gotten mad at her yet for them, but she still wanted to be sure.

"Of course," Steve said, focusing back on her.

"It's actually more than one," Star admitted, hoping there wouldn't be a limit.

Steve's mouth lifted in a half smile. "You can ask as many questions as you want, Star."

She nodded. "How'd you become a super soldier?" The Hydra files she'd read on him had implied Steve hadn't always been a super soldier, and Bruce had mentioned something to that effect as well.

"That's a long story," Steve said. He glanced at the digital clock on the stove, then back at her. "But it looks like we've got time."

* * *

Leslie sipped her coffee at the small table provided in the hotel suite she was in as she scrolled through news reports on her phone. They all spoke of an attack on Avengers Tower, though no one seemed to have any details. Efforts by the media to reach out to the Avengers, SHIELD, and Stark Industries were all coming up empty. Leslie nodded, satisfied by the results. Pierce had attempted to retrieve the asset, and had failed, just as she'd believed he would. He'd be getting desperate now. That meant it was time to play her trump card.

Leslie set her coffee cup aside and dialed Pierce's number. She stood, pacing the room as the phone rang.

"You have some nerve, calling me like this," Pierce said by way of greeting.

Leslie halted her pacing, squaring her shoulders and raising her chin even though he couldn't see her. Standing confidently always had an effect on sounding confident, and confidence would be the thing that would get her through this conversation alive. "I don't need nerve when I know you won't kill me," Leslie said.

"A bold assumption," Pierce replied. "Especially since you lost a valuable asset, destroyed a facility, and have risked the cover of our entire organization."

"Your attempt at retrieving her failed," Leslie said, ignoring the list of her failures. She glanced at her watch. She needed to be quick; Pierce had no doubt started tracking her location from the moment he'd answered her call. If an assassin found her before she had managed to convince Pierce he still needed her, there would be trouble. "Do you even know where they've taken her now?"

"That's no longer your concern," Pierce said, his voice dripping with the arrogance that always made Leslie's hackles rise.

"That's a no then," Leslie said. "I can find her."

"You really expect me to believe that?" Pierce asked.

This was the moment, and Leslie smirked, projecting confidence and control in her voice. "She has a tracker implanted in her." Pierce was silent. "Once I turn it on - and I'm the only one who knows how - I'll be able to find her anywhere."

"If this is true, why didn't you use it to find her when she first ran away?"

"It wouldn't have mattered then," Leslie said. "I know how Hydra works. If I had retrieved her then, and you'd found out about her temporary escape, you'd still have had me killed. And I know what you're probably considering now. Don't think you can just get rid of me once I turn the tracker on. I have failsafes in the event of my death. If I die, Director Fury is going to find himself with quite a bit of information about Hydra." Leslie allowed herself a satisfied smile. "Besides, if you want a hope of restarting Project Stars and Stripes, you need me."

A heartbeat passed. "Well played, Dr. Miller," Pierce said. "You've wrapped this up quite neatly. But know that you're walking a tightrope. If you slip..."

Leslie relaxed. Her plan had worked; Hydra still needed her. As long as that was the case, Pierce wouldn't kill her, no matter what he said. She just had to make sure that he continued to need her.

"An operative will be at your location in ten minutes," Pierce said.

"I'll be waiting." Leslie ended the call and began to gather her things. She hadn't brought much with her, so it didn't take long. Then, all she had to do was wait.

Eventually, there was a knock at her door. Leslie peered through the peephole before opening it. It was a bald man in a dark suit; he had the typical look of an agent. _This must be the operative._

Leslie opened the door, and he nodded at her. "Dr. Miller. I'm Agent Sitwell. We should be on our way."

"Very well," Leslie said, her one bag already in hand. "Let's go."

He led her down to the hotel's parking lot, and to a black SUV with windows that were tinted so dark she couldn't see in the vehicle. "The passenger seat is already taken," Sitwell told her. "You'll have to sit in the back."

Leslie inclined her head. She wondered who else had come, but didn't bother to ask. She'd see in a moment. She opened the back door and climbed in, tossing her bag in the seat beside her. Then she got a look at the man in the passenger seat, and for a second, she froze. She recognized him, though she'd never seen him in person. There were only so many people with a bionic arm like his. It was the Winter Soldier.

He observed her, his face blank and eyes unblinking. Leslie settled back in her seat and busied herself putting on her seat belt. His presence had caught her off guard, but it wasn't really anything for her to be worried about. The Winter Soldier was just a tool. He wouldn't do anything unless ordered, and for now, Pierce wanted Leslie alive.

Sitwell turned the car on. "Okay, Dr. Miller. I understand you're supposed to tell us where to go."

"One moment, and I will," Leslie said. She pulled on her phone and started clicking through the hidden layers of apps she had on it to get to the trigger for Star's tracker. _And it's on._ Leslie watched her screen, waiting for Star's location to pop up. Once it did, she frowned.

"Well?" Sitwell asked.

Leslie looked up from her screen. "I'm afraid we're going to need a plane."

* * *

 **AN:** Hah, there's going to be more action soon! Hope ya'll are looking forward to it as much as I am :) Oh, and this fic has offically hit 100 reviews! I just want to take a moment to say THANK YOU for all the support you've given me! Life hasn't left me much time to respond to reviews lately, but know I cherish every single one of them!


	16. Chapter 16

Waking up to the background noise of a bustling household wasn't the usual for Bruce anymore. He lay a moment longer in the bed of the guestroom that he and Tony had shared, listening to the sounds of everyone moving around. Tony had been up and gone before Bruce had even woken, so he didn't mind staying where he was and savoring the moment. The circumstances that had brought him here weren't great, but it was so rare that Bruce got to hear the happy sounds of family life that he couldn't resist taking advantage of it for a moment.

Someone knocked on the door, and Bruce sighed. _Guess that's all of that._ He sat up, tossing the blankets off. "It's open," he said; he'd slept in a t-shirt and lounge pants, so he wasn't worried about who might be at the door.

The door opened partially, and Star edged halfway in the room, one hand holding the door. She was already dressed for the day, her blonde hair neatly tied back in a braid. "Tony said to tell you that you're holding up breakfast."

Bruce huffed a little, a smile tugging at his mouth. "I'll be right down."

She nodded, but didn't otherwise move. Bruce waited a moment, but she didn't say anything. "Was there something else?"

Star's fingers drummed on the door, and she glanced towards the stairway. After another moment's hesitation, she slipped inside the room and closed the door behind her. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked. "It's – it might be weird."

"I'm sure I've heard stranger," Bruce said. "You can ask."

She paced a little, her brows furrowing. "James and I are clones of Steve."

"You are," Bruce agreed, a little baffled as to where that might be going.

"So does that…" She stopped pacing, and turned to face him. Her hands were balled into fists at her side, and a flush was creeping up her cheeks. "Does that make him our dad?"

It took Bruce a second to absorb the question. "Did someone say something about that?" he asked. He clearly needed to be careful in how he answered; Star's tension and uncertainty were obvious. He wanted to know what had happened to bring this question about before he tried to respond and potentially made a mistake.

"Lila did," Star admitted. "Yesterday. She said since we were made from him, that made him our dad. And then this morning – this morning Steve um, he told me that James and I could live with him, after this was over. He didn't say anything about being our dad, but he said he'd take care of us."

"Are you going to live with him?" Bruce asked mildly.

Star shrugged, and looked away. "I don't know. I said I'd think about it."

Bruce nodded. He was quiet a moment, collecting his thoughts for how best to respond. "I think," he said, and Star looked over at him, "that the answer to whether or not he's your dad is going to depend on who you ask. Some people will think he is, some won't."

"What do you think?" Star asked.

"I think he is," Bruce said. He'd guess that Steve was starting to think that way too, given he'd offered to let Star and James live with him. Star's face flushed then went pale at his answer, and she started pacing the room again. "Do you want him to be your dad?" he asked carefully.

"I don't know," Star said. "I've never had parents before. Just trainers. I don't think it's the same thing."

"No, it's not," Bruce agreed.

She paused in her pacing, turning to face him again. "What's having a parent like?"

"The best resource for that question," Bruce said, "is probably just watching how Clint and Laura act with their kids."

There was a quick rapping on the door before Star could respond, and then the door opened and Steve stuck his head in. "Tony is getting dramatic about dying of starvation before you two make it down for breakfast."

For a second Star's eyes went wide at the sight of Steve, then her face went to that blank calm she was good at putting on. Frankly, the look couldn't have made it more obvious that they'd been having a talk that she didn't want Steve to know about. Steve didn't say anything though, even though he had to have noticed.

 _He probably doesn't want to push her. Or, wait, did he hear what we were saying?_

Bruce knew that Steve's senses were all enhanced, so it was possible he'd overheard some of their conversation. Though if he had, his expression didn't show it.

"We're coming," Bruce said, standing from where he'd been sitting on the edge of the bed. "What kind of breakfast has Tony so worked up?"

"Laura is making waffles," Steve said. "And homemade strawberry syrup."

"Ah," Bruce said. "That explains it. We'd better head down, then."

Steve nodded, backing out of the doorway. Bruce and Star followed him downstairs. "Finally!" Tony said as they made it to the bottom. "I thought you were going to lollygag all day up there."

"You could have started without me," Bruce said.

"Believe me, I would have," Tony said, "but Laura is a much nicer person than I am, and insisted we had to wait."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because I don't remember the conversation going like that."

Tony waved a hand dismissively. "You're almost a century old, your memory is faulty."

Bruce just smiled at their banter, slipping by to get to the half full coffee pot. He glanced around, taking in the crowd as he got something to drink. Lila and Cooper were on the living room floor with James, showing him how to play with Legos. Star had drifted in their direction, crouching down near them. Natasha was curled up on a chair in the living room, mug in hand, while Steve and Tony had claimed places at the table. Clint and Laura were in the kitchen together, readying breakfast.

Once he had his coffee, Bruce took on of the seats at the table with Steve and Tony. "Any word from Director Fury?" he asked.

Tony shook his head. "Not yet. And at this point, I'd like him to wait until after breakfast to contact us."

The waffles and strawberry syrup smelled amazing. Bruce decided that he agreed.

* * *

Bruce had suggested that Star watch how Clint and Laura interacted with their kids to see what having a parent was like, so she did. She'd kind of been observing anyway, but now she especially made a point to observe and try to analyze their actions.

It was definitely…different. Especially if she compared it to how the trainers she'd had at the compound had treated her.

They were apparently teaching Cooper how to cut his foods with a knife, and didn't seem to mind that his efforts were still a bit messy. When Lila interrupted the conversation to interject her own comments, they didn't get upset with her, though Laura firmly informed her that she needed to wait until others were done speaking and had her apologize. When Cooper and Lila asked for seconds, or for a refill on their drinks, Clint and Laura actually gave it to them. There were casual touches shared: a hand on their shoulder or arm, ruffling hair, and at one point Laura even kissed Cooper on the cheek.

Star frowned as she thought. It actually kind of reminded Star how all the Avengers treated her and James. It didn't seem like it should; unless, were all the Avengers acting parental or something? Was that a thing? Did adults just act like parents towards any kids they met, regardless of whether they were actually related?

A sudden crash yanked her out of her thoughts. Star jerked in her chair, almost coming up to her feet before she realized that the sound had just been Cooper dropping a glass on the kitchen floor. The glass had shattered at his feet.

"Don't move, Coop," Clint said sharply, already out of his chair and moving towards Cooper. Star tensed at his tone. Was Cooper about to get in trouble from breaking the glass? What would that mean if he did? When Steve had been angry with Star back at the Tower, he'd only lectured her. Surely, they wouldn't do worse than that; Cooper was so much smaller than her, and this had been an accident, not deliberate disobedience, it wouldn't be right –

Star's racing thoughts came to a halt as Clint leaned over the broken glass to pick Cooper up and hold him close. "You okay, buddy? The glass didn't cut you, did it?"

"'m not hurt," Cooper said, though he still seemed upset. "I'm sorry I dropped the cup."

Clint just grinned and ruffled Cooper's hair. "We can afford a new cup. I promise." Laura came up with the broom and started cleaning up the broken glass. Star slowly relaxed as she realized that Cooper wasn't in trouble at all.

 _I guess I should have realized that he wouldn't get in trouble for breaking it. They didn't get mad at me for accidentally breaking Director Fury's tablet._

No, much like Clint and Laura had just done with Cooper, they'd only wanted to make sure she hadn't accidentally hurt herself as well. It was a very different reaction than what she'd gotten when she'd broken things at the compound, and she'd broken a lot of things at the beginning when she was trying to figure out how strong she was compared to how fragile everything else was.

A hand pressed down on her shoulder, and Star jumped a little before looking to the side and seeing it was Steve. He was watching her, a frown on his face. "You okay, Star?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet so the question didn't draw the attention of the others.

"I'm fine," Star said.

He studied her a moment more, but nodded and let go of her shoulder. She was still getting used to that too. It seemed like someone was constantly checking in to make sure she was alright.

A phone buzzed. Natasha pulled hers out and glanced down at the screen. "It's Fury." She hit the button to answer. "One moment, Director."

"All kids upstairs," Clint said, stepping far enough away from the glass that he could safely set Cooper down.

"But, Dad," Lila protested.

"Listen to your father," Laura said.

Steve handed James over to Star. "Take him on up."

 _What?_

They weren't going to let her stay? If Director Fury was calling, it had to have something to do with the situation with Hydra. Even if they were planning to leave her and James here for now, Star wanted to know what was going on at least.

"Can't I stay?" she asked.

"I need you to watch James," Steve said. "I'll update you later, okay?"

Star nodded reluctantly. She supposed it was a compromise that made sense. Lila and Cooper were probably too little to watch James for an extended period of time. She followed Lila and Cooper upstairs, still dissatisfied even if she understood why.

 _What if he doesn't tell me everything?_

She glanced back at the stairs before stepping reluctantly into Lila's room. They lumped her in with the kids, and clearly, they didn't think the kids needed to know everything that was going on. What if Steve only told her what he thought was absolutely necessary and left out something important?

Star set James down, and Cooper immediately pulled him into a game. Lila stood in front of Star, clasping her hands together. "Can I play with your hair? Please?"

"Sure," Star said. "But, um, I need to use the bathroom first. I'll be back in a few minutes. Will you keep an eye on James for me?"

Lila nodded. "Okay, I can do that."

"Thanks," Star said, forcing a smile for her benefit. She slipped back out into the hall, carefully closing Lila's door behind her. Then she crept back towards the stairwell, avoiding the floorboards that creaked. She paused far enough back that no one would see her unless they were right at the bottom of the steps and listened.

"Of course they've got people in the government too." Tony's voice, his tone short and tense. "Why wouldn't they?"

"They'd have to, to get away with the stuff they've been doing," Clint said. "Makes taking them down more complicated."

"Have you figured out who's leading them now?" Steve asked.

"I believe so," Director Fury answered. "I think it's Alexander Pierce."

Star had never heard that name before, so it didn't mean anything to her. It meant something to the adults though, going by Natasha's mumbled curse. At least, Star thought she was cursing based on her tone. Whatever language she was speaking, it didn't sound like English.

"So, what's our next move?" Steve asked.

"First we're going to have to acknowledge that we can't take Hydra down in one fell swoop," Director Fury said. "They're too wide spread for that, and in some cases too well hidden. I still don't know who all of them are. We can cripple them though. But it's going to cost us. The plan," Director Fury said, "is to send out a list to every SHIELD agent, government officials, as well as putting it out online, that includes the identities of every SHIELD agent, indicating which ones we know are actually Hydra, which ones we know aren't, and the rest as uncertain."

A moment of quiet followed his statement. "Nick," Natasha said. "You're going to blow everyone's cover. That's going to get people killed."

"I know," Director Fury said. "Believe me, I don't make this decision lightly. But if Hydra isn't exposed, millions more could end up dead. We don't have many options, and we can't afford to move slow. I don't think they know we're on to them yet, but that could change at any time. We need to move while we have the element of surprise."

"So the list gets sent out," Steve said. "What then?"

"I'll have all of you in place at key SHIELD facilities," Director Fury said. "I expect fights in all of these locations. They house resources we cannot afford to let Hydra take; prisoners, weapons, dangerous stuff. Our main purpose in this fight will be to minimize the amount of damage that Hydra is able to do as they run."

Star heard the door to Lila's room open, and she whipped her head around to see Lila come out into the hall. Star's eyes widened, and she tried to frantically motion for Lila to be quiet. "Star, what are you doing out here?"

She cringed, closing her eyes for a moment. The abrupt halt to the conversation downstairs told her that the adults had most certainly heard Lila's question. Slowly, Star turned her head to look back down the stairs. Steve was already there at the bottom of the steps, hands on his waist and an irritated expression on his face as he stared up at her.

"Technically," Star said, "technically we were only told to go upstairs. No one said what room we had to be in."

"Kid's room," Steve said. "Now."

That was not a tone that Star was prepared to argue with at the moment, so she went back to Lila's room and shut the door. Lila was looking up at her with wide eyes. "I'm sorry!" Lila said. "I didn't realize you were trying to listen!"

Star sighed. "It's fine. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Are you in trouble?" Cooper asked.

She frowned, drumming her fingers against her thigh. "I don't know. Maybe."

If she was, Star wasn't sure how bad the fallout might be. She thought it probably wouldn't be too bad; after all, the last time Steve had been upset with her, it was because she'd put herself and James in danger, and he'd only lectured her about it. She couldn't get in worse trouble than that for something that hadn't even been dangerous.

 _Unless punishment gets worse every time you do something wrong?_

She just didn't know how punishments worked out here. "Hey, when you guys get in trouble with your parents, what do they do?"

Lila tapped her chin. "Depends how much trouble we're in."

"They put me in time out sometimes," Cooper said.

"What's time out?" Star asked.

"That's where you have to sit in a chair and look at the wall, and you can't leave for like, three minutes," Lila said.

Star cocked her head. _Three minutes?_ That was the least terrible punishment she'd ever heard of.

"I don't go in timeout anymore, because I'm too old for it," Lila said. "But if they're really upset, they might ground me for a couple days. That means I won't be able to watch TV or go to a friend's house or anything."

Star nodded slowly. That didn't sound so bad either.

"And then sometimes we might have to do extra chores," Lila said. "Like cleaning in the kitchen, or pulling weeds, and stuff like that."

"And…that's it?" Star asked.

"Pretty much," Lila said.

None of what they had named was all that bad. They would be mild annoyances at worst, and certainly wouldn't be painful. Star could handle any of that. The prospect of being in trouble didn't seem nearly so intimidating.

Lila reached out and took hold of Star's hand. "So," she said, looking up at her, "since we've still probably got a little while to wait for the adults, can I still play with your hair? Please?"

Star smiled at her earnest expression. "Yeah. Sure."

* * *

Steve couldn't say he was totally satisfied with the end of the meeting. Fury was right, there was no way they were going to take down Hydra in one blow; crippling them was the best that they could hope for right now. But he didn't like it.

They'd hashed out who was going to which facility, and they'd need to be on their way soon. It would be a few hours yet before Fury was ready to send out the files to everyone, and they needed to use that time to get into place and be ready for the fight that was about to come. But before they left, Steve had one thing he needed to deal with.

"So, you figure out what you're going to say to Star yet?" Tony asked him, and Steve didn't like the way the question made everyone in the room focus on him.

"Not exactly," Steve admitted. Not at all, honestly. "I'm open to suggestions."

Laura spoke first. "My recommendation, don't focus on her actions. Try to figure out why she felt like she needed to do it instead; most of the time, kids have a reason of some sort for why they disobey. If you can deal with the reason, then her behavior should adjust accordingly."

"That makes sense," Tony said. "Go with her idea."

"Yeah, I think that sounds good," Bruce agreed.

"Okay then," Steve said, "I'll go deal with…all that." He stood from his spot on the couch and went for the stairs. It felt a little surreal walking up them.

 _I'm going upstairs to talk to my kid._

Not really the kind of situation he'd imagined himself being in since he'd woken up in the twenty-first century, and it still sent a low hum of panic through him if he thought too hard about it. He couldn't let it show, though. He'd overheard enough of Star's conversation with Bruce earlier to know that she was kind of panicky about figuring out their relationship too, so Steve needed to stay calm about it for her.

The door to Lila's room was shut. Steve knocked on it to announce his presence, then opened the door and stepped inside. Cooper and James were sprawled out on the floor with coloring books; it looked like Cooper was trying to teach James how to color. Star was sitting cross-legged a few feet away from them, Lila standing behind her. Lila was in the process of tying a ribbon around the end of a second braid that had been added to Star's hair.

"Hey, Captain Rogers," Lila greeted with a wide smile.

"Hey," Steve said. "Uh, the meeting is over, so if you kids want to play downstairs now, you can."

Cooper scrambled up. "Come on, James, let's go play with the Legos again!" James started following after him, and Steve looked over their heads at Lila.

"Would you help James down the stairs?" he asked. He didn't think James was quite ready to attempt them on his own.

"Sure thing!" Lila said, and dashed past him. Steve leaned out into the hall just enough to see Lila take James's hand before they started on the steps, then Steve turned back to Star. She was still sitting where she'd been when he'd walked in, and didn't seem to have any intention of trying to move. She must have realized that he was going to talk to her about what happened earlier.

He didn't really want to have this talk standing over her though, so Steve walked forward and settled down on the floor a few feet in front of her. "So, I was wondering why," Steve said, "you felt the need to eavesdrop of our meeting instead of watching James. Especially since I told you I would update you on what was said. There's only one reason that I can think of, though if I'm wrong please correct me. But I can only assume that when I told you I'd update you on what was said you didn't believe me. Am I right?"

Her gaze dropped to the rug on Lila's floor for a moment, then back up at him. "I thought you might not tell me everything. That you'd leave something out."

 _It's working?_ He hadn't been sure she'd give him an honest answer, but she had, so Steve would go with it.

"What made you think that?" Steve asked.

Star shrugged. "You keep saying I'm just a kid. And Lila and Cooper are kids too, and no one is really explaining anything to them about all of this."

So that was the connection she'd made. He supposed it made sense she'd see it like that. "Lila and Cooper are different," Steve said. "They've never been through the sorts of things that you've been through. No one's ever tried to hurt them before. So no, we're not going to tell them about Hydra. All that would do is scare them. There's no reason to do that, especially since they can't do anything about the situation anyway." He leaned forward slightly. "You already know about Hydra, Star. Not knowing what we're going to do is probably a lot scarier for you. So, when I said I was going to tell you what we decided, I meant it."

"Oh," she said softly. Her brows drew together, and it seemed like she was considering something, so Steve stayed quiet and waited. "I'm sorry," she finally said, "for not listening."

"Apology accepted," Steve said. He was a little shocked that he'd managed to navigate the conversation this successfully.

 _Maybe I can do this._

"So, for the part of the conversation that you didn't hear," Steve said. "We're going to be heading out soon. Director Fury has a plan to expose Hydra to the public. We won't be able to arrest all of them, but by exposing their existence we'll be able to stop a lot of their plans. We're also going to catch their leader, so that'll make things harder for them too."

"Exposing them is going to cause a fight," Star said.

"It will. But you and James will be safe here with Laura and the kids. Bruce will be here too," Steve added, thinking maybe knowing a familiar person would be around might help her relax. There'd been a bit of a debate about whether Bruce should go or stay, but eventually it was decided he'd be better here. This fight was going to be too confusing for the Hulk. The Hulk needed clear targets, and preferably limited chances for harming allies. This fight was exactly the kind that the Hulk should avoid; too much risk of him hurting someone he shouldn't.

Star nodded, but fidgeted a little. "What about the rest of you?"

"We'll be fine," Steve promised. "We'll all come back."

For the first time in years, Steve had good reason to make sure that was true.

* * *

 **AN:** It feels a little strange to post this chapter today of all days. But not, I think, inappropriate. Stan Lee has inspired so many people with his work; that inspiration lives on. Rest in peace, Stan Lee.


	17. Chapter 17

_When did they have a chance to get their suits?_ Star wondered. She could only guess that it had been when everyone had split up at the tower to pack their things. It was a little strange seeing them dressed up, as she'd only seen them in civilian clothes so far. Steve had changed into a dark blue tactical suit, a subdued star decorating the front, bringing to mind the pattern of his shield. The shield he had settled on his back. Natasha wore a black body suit, metallic cuffs around her wrists that Star would guess held some inventive surprises. Guns sat her waist, along with other small pouches. Clint had changed too, his tactical suit mostly black with touches of dark purple, and instead of a gun he was carrying a bow. The Iron Man armor was still in the quinjet, so Tony was still in his regular clothes.

They all hovered near the front door as Clint hugged his kids goodbye. Star shifted from foot to foot, watching the scene. It made her uneasy. Clint and the others were heading out to do something incredibly dangerous. She didn't think Lila or Cooper really understood that, but Star had no illusions. They were going to be exposing and fighting Hydra, and even though Steve had promised they'd all come back, Star knew there was no way he could really guarantee it.

"We'll keep you as up to date as we can," Steve told Bruce. His manner had shifted a little; his tone was brusquer, his stance tenser. It sort of reminded Star of the way Steve had acted at the hospital when she'd first met him, or the way he'd been when the tower was about to be attacked.

Bruce shifted his hold on James; the toddler was squirming to get down. "Stay safe."

Star wanted to snort, because everything about what they were about to do was as unsafe as it could be, but she held it back.

Steve glanced down at James then her, and his expression softened slightly. "Hopefully we'll only be a few days. When I come back, we'll talk some more."

Star's stomach did a little flip at the statement, because she knew what he was going to want to talk about; about her and James going to live with him, maybe about whether he was really their dad, and what exactly that would mean if he was. She didn't know how she felt about any of it yet, or what to say, so she just nodded and didn't say anything.

"We need to get going," Natasha said.

Steve turned away, and the four of them headed out the door. Star watched them go through the window.

"Alright," Laura said, clapping her hands together. "Lila, you've had a fun, unexpected break, but it's time for you to get back to schoolwork."

"But, Mom!" Lila protested.

Laura shook her head. "No buts. Just because you're homeschooled, that doesn't make lessons optional. You need to do at least some of them today."

Lila wilted for a second, but then she brightened and spun around to Star. "Want to help me do my lessons?"

Star hesitated. She wasn't sure she'd actually be any help to Lila; she had no idea what normal kids studied. Typically she'd say yes anyway, just to see what the work was, but right now Star couldn't stand the thought of having to sit still.

"Actually," she said, "I was hoping I could use the gym, if that's okay?" She looked up at Laura, knowing she'd need permission from her to use it.

"That's fine," Laura said. "Just be careful out there, okay?"

"I will," Star assured her. She headed out the door before anyone could try and convince her to do anything else.

It was kind of weird, being in Clint's gym by herself. Star had never really done training on her own at the Compound. There was always someone observing her; generally, her only time alone had been when everyone else was ready to be done for the day.

She found the hand wraps she'd used the night before and wrapped her hands as she walked to the punching bag. She'd start there, and if there was enough time when she was done, Star would move on to the weights. At a glance, it didn't look like Clint had heavy enough weights for them to truly challenge her, but a lot of reps at a lighter weight would work too.

Star settled into her stance and got started. She let her mind go blank, focusing only on her movements, making sure her technique was correct, and that she controlled the strength of her punches so she didn't bust the bag.

She didn't pay attention to time, so she wasn't sure how long she'd been hitting the bag when she heard someone open the door behind her. It had been long enough that Star had worked up a sweat, and her breathing was heavier than normal. She didn't turn and look immediately at the sound. It was probably either Laura or Bruce coming to let her know it'd be time for lunch soon, and she should shower before she ate. She finished the combo she was working through, then stopped, resting one hand on the bag to stop it from swinging.

Whoever had come in still wasn't saying anything, which struck Star as a little odd. She turned to face them, but it wasn't Laura or Bruce. Star felt like all the air had been kicked from her lungs, and her head went light.

"You can't be here," Star said.

Dr. Miller arched one eyebrow, head tilting just a fraction. It was the look she always wore when she thought Star had said something exceptionally stupid. "Really, Star. You couldn't possibly believe there was anywhere you could go that I wouldn't find you."

She had thought Dr. Miller was dead, assumed she'd been killed during the destruction of the compound, but Star didn't say it, because obviously that assumption had been wrong. Clint had been so sure that no one could find this place –

 _The others!_

Her gaze flicked past Dr. Miller to the door, and for the first time Star noticed the other person in the room; it was the super soldier with the metal arm, the one that had fought Steve back at the Tower. He wasn't wearing a mask this time, but it didn't really make much of a difference for all the expression his face showed.

Star tried hard not to let her new spike of panic show on her face. _They're okay. They have to be okay._ She hadn't heard any gunshots, no screaming, or any other sounds of violence coming from the house. Most likely they'd been left alone so far, and none of them even knew that Dr. Miller, the super soldier, and whoever else she'd brought were here.

They were okay; Star just had to make sure they stayed that way.

"Now," Dr. Miller said, and Star refocused her attention on the woman. "You're going to come with me, and you are not going to put up a fuss about it." She gestured back towards the other super soldier. "If you do, I'll have to order the Winter Soldier here to kill everyone in that house."

Star's chest clenched at the threat. There was too much distance between them for her to have a chance of getting near him if he went after the others. Even if she could, Star doubted her ability to beat him; after all, he'd been able to hold his own against Steve. And if by some miracle she could beat him, Star had no doubt that Dr. Miller had brought other lackeys with her, and it was only the kids, Laura, and Bruce in the house, and none of them were fighters. While Star was busy with the Winter Soldier, someone else could easily finish them off.

There was no real choice here, not if Star wanted to keep them alive.

Her hands had been clenched into fists at her sides, and Star forced them to relax and dipped her head. "I'll come with you."

Dr. Miller nodded, looking for all the world as though this was the exact result she'd expected. It probably was. She turned and walked towards the door, and Star slowly followed. The Winter Soldier didn't move at all, not until Star was near him. Then he fell in step behind her, staying close. Probably to prevent Star from trying anything. Not that she would; Star wasn't willing to do anything that might endanger the others. She'd keep them safe, and if sacrificing her own freedom was the price she had to pay, then so be it.

At the barn's front door, Dr. Miller paused, peering outside for a moment. Apparently deciding their way was still clear, she led the way outside and Star and the Winter Soldier followed. Star glanced towards the house as they walked away. _They'll be okay._ James, Lila, Cooper, Bruce, and Laura. They'd figure out something had gone wrong whenever they realized she was missing, and they'd leave and get to a different safe place. And at least Star could be sure they'd take care of James; his safety was why she'd run away from Hydra in the first place, after all.

The front door slammed open as Bruce dashed outside, and Star thought her heart might stop. She moved without thinking, trying to put herself between Bruce and the Winter Soldier, but before she could take even a full step the Winter Soldier's metal arm had wrapped around her shoulders, pinning her back against him. Any idea of struggling vanished when she felt the barrel of a gun press against her temple.

Bruce froze, and his eyes flared green.

 _What? How?_

"Best hold your temper, Dr. Banner," Dr. Miller said. Star had never heard her voice sound like that before, tense and tight. It could be mistaken for anger, but Star had dealt with her anger enough to know that wasn't it. That was _fear_. Why was she afraid of him? "Or Star dies."

"Hurt her and it'll be the last thing either of you do," Bruce snarled. His voice sounded different, deeper than normal, and almost echoey. Like there was another voice talking at the same time.

"I don't doubt it," Dr. Miller replied, and Star's eyes darted her way.

 _What?_ She actually thought Bruce was dangerous? That he was capable of killing them both? But Bruce wasn't dangerous at all.

Was he?

Dr. Miller continued. "But Star will still be dead, which you don't want."

They tried to stare each other down, Dr. Miller calm and poised, Bruce tense and simmering with a barely checked fury. A few seconds dragged by, then Bruce closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were back to their normal brown instead of glowing green.

"Smart choice," Dr. Miller said. "Here's how this is going to work. The three of us are going to leave. You will not try to stop us. If you do, he'll kill her."

Bruce stared at her, looked down at Star, then back at Dr. Miller. "You want her alive too."

"Preferably." Dr. Miller shrugged. "But if I go back without her my life is forfeit anyway. So, I really have nothing to lose from this."

Bruce grimaced. He turned to attention to the super soldier holding her. "Bucky," he said, and Star felt the soldier flinch, his metal fingers digging into her with near bruising force. "You don't want to hurt her. She's just a kid; Steve's kid."

 _Wait, Bucky?_ Star knew that name; Steve had mentioned it, in the early morning hours when he'd told Star stories about his life, and how he'd become Captain America in the first place. Bucky had been his friend, but Steve had never said anything about Bucky becoming a super soldier or working for Hydra, and he certainly hadn't said anything about Bucky being the same super soldier that had already attacked them. But Bruce's words plus the Winter Soldier's reaction to them suggested that was in fact the situation.

"She's a tool," Dr. Miller snapped, and now there was an angry edge to her voice. "Just as the Winter Soldier is."

Bruce glared at her. "She's a _child._ I don't care how she was made."

Dr. Miller tsked. "That's just the attitude that holds humanity back." She took a step back. "Now, we're leaving."

Bruce didn't move to try and stop them. The Winter Soldier – _Bucky_ – turned away, forcing Star to move with him. He kept the gun pressed to her head, but Star barely even registered the threat as she tried to process everything that had just happened.

Apparently, she'd been wrong in believing that Bruce wasn't a fighter. He had to be, and a dangerous one at that for Dr. Miller to have reacted the way she did. It would have been helpful to know that earlier; if Star had, she'd have handled things differently. Star couldn't begin to guess why he'd kept his powers – surely the glowing green eyes meant he had powers – a secret from her. But she hadn't known, and done was done. She couldn't change that now.

Star also couldn't quite figure out how the Winter Soldier and the Bucky that Steve had talked about were supposed to be the same person. She couldn't imagine Steve being friends with someone who would willingly work for a place like Hydra.

 _Dr. Miller said he was a tool._

Tools didn't make choices. Star knew that much. Hydra must be controlling him somehow. Maybe there was a way to break their control? Bucky had reacted when Bruce has said his name, so maybe…

They made it to a quinjet that was nearly identical to the one that the Avengers had brought Star out here in. Not that surprising, given that Hydra was intertwined with SHIELD.

A man waited by the ramp for them, decked out in full tactical gear. Security of some kind, though not anyone that Star recognized from the compound. "Looks like your plan worked, Dr. Miller," he said.

"No time for chit chat," Dr. Miller snapped. "Tell Sitwell to get the jet running; there's still a chance Banner could lose control, and I want us out of here before that happens."

The phrasing about losing control teased at something in Star's memory, even as Bucky pulled her along into the jet and got her strapped into a seat. As he was strapping her in, it clicked. That first day she'd met Bruce, when he'd been driving her and James to the hospital. She'd asked him what he did for Stark Labs, and he'd told her about the Avengers, and one Avenger in particular. The Hulk, the one who was powerful but sometimes lost control, and could hurt innocent people. The one Bruce was trying to figure out how to stop, just in case.

Bruce had been nervous, when he'd mentioned the Avengers and the Hulk, and it had been fairly obvious he hadn't told her everything. Star hadn't pursued it, because it hadn't seemed that relevant to the situation at the time. It seemed perfectly obvious now what he'd been hiding; Bruce _was_ the Hulk. It went a long way to explaining why people acted like he was important, even though Bruce tried to hard to act like he wasn't.

Not that the realization helped now. Star still didn't even know what he could do, just that he was powerful enough to scare Dr. Miller, and that he couldn't always control his power. _Which means he probably won't come after us yet._ Bruce wouldn't risk hurting her, and anyway, the others needed to be moved to a new location, one Hydra wouldn't know about. He'd have to wait for the rest of the Avengers, but it was impossible to guess exactly how long they'd be gone, since they were preparing for the assault on Hydra.

 _I'm on my own for now._

They were in the air, and as the quinjet leveled off, the security guy stood in front of Star. She glanced up at him, but didn't say anything. "So you're what's caused all this fuss," he said. "You don't seem that special."

Star kept quiet. She knew better than to respond to statements like that.

"Still, we've got to make sure you haven't caused more trouble than we know," the man continued when she didn't speak. "That means we need to know what you've told them."

Her heart skipped a beat, but practice kept her face blank. _They don't know._ They had no idea how much she'd learned since running away. No idea that she knew they weren't The Company, but Hydra, didn't know that the Avengers and Director Fury were making moves even now to take them down, that they had mere hours of anonymity left.

 _What'll they do to me when it happens?_

Once Hydra was exposed, would they think it was worth it to try and keep her? Or would they decide she was too much trouble and kill her instead? Impossible to guess.

The man backhanded her, and Star's head snapped to the side. Her face stung, but it was hardly the worst blow she'd ever had to take. Still, she was shaken a little by how she hadn't seen it coming. She hadn't realized until that moment how quickly she'd been getting used to the idea of adults not hurting her.

"I don't like repeating myself," the man said. "What have you told them?"

She started to sit up, but paused as something caught her eye. Bucky had stayed at the rear of the jet, but looking to the side now, Star could see that his hands had curled into fists. Her gaze darted up to his face. It was still mostly blank, but she could tell his jaw was clenched, and he was watching her.

 _He doesn't like them hurting me._

A plan sprang up in her mind. Steve and the others would probably hate it. But wanting to protect someone smaller and weaker than herself was what had pushed Star to break away from Hydra; maybe the same thing could push Bucky to turn on them too.

 _I hope this works._ If it didn't, it was really going to hurt.

* * *

 **AN:** So um, before anyone comes after me with pitchforks ready, I'd like to remind ya'll that if I'm dead and/or maimed, then I can't post new chapters. Just remember that. And yes, I have in fact been planning this moment from the beginning, so please let me know what you think!


	18. Chapter 18

**Warning:** While not explicit, this chapter does deal with some harm being done to a minor, so heads up if that's the sort of thing that makes you uncomfortable.

* * *

The blood pounded in Bruce's ears, and he leaned forward, hands gripping his thighs as he just tried to breathe and stay calm. But every time he closed his eyes, he could see it again, the image of Star with a gun to her head, and he wanted to rip something apart.

"Bruce?"

Laura's voice, wary and concerned. Still at a distance; she was probably watching him from the porch. Bruce tried to focus on that, that Laura was there, and the kids, and now was not the time for him to hulk out.

But the Hulk could probably still catch up to the quinjet, and if he did then –

"Mommy? What's happening?"

"Go back inside, Lila."

 _The kids; there are still kids here._ This _was not_ the time to Hulk out. Besides, even if he did catch up to the quinjet as the Hulk, there was still too much risk that he could accidentally hurt Star.

"Bruce." Laura's voice was getting closer. "Bruce, you need to stay calm."

He took a deep breath. Control. He needed to stay in control. _I'm always angry. I can_ hold it.

He could hear Laura coming closer, her footsteps crunching in the snow. Bruce straightened, and her steps came to a halt. "I'm alright." He turned to face her. "I'm in control."

Laura didn't reply immediately, studying him. Bruce didn't blame her for her hesitation. But she nodded. "Good. We need to get going."

The firm declaration caught him off guard. "Going?"

"You've worked with Clint," Laura said, heading for the front door. "You really think he wouldn't have a backup safe place for us?"

Actually…for a paranoid SHIELD agent, it made perfect sense. _Should have seen that coming._

They walked through the door to find the kids waiting for them. "Lila, I need you and Cooper to get your bags," Laura said. "We're heading to the other house."

This must have been something they'd practiced, because the response from the kids was immediate. Without any argument or questions, they dashed for the stairs.

"Are you sure the second safe house hasn't been compromised?" Bruce asked. "If they found out about this place from SHILED files – "

"I'm sure," Laura said. "They didn't find out about the farmhouse from any SHIELD files, because there are none. We're completely off the grid here. Before yesterday, the only people that knew about this place were Natasha and Director Fury. I don't believe they told anyone."

 _Then how did Hydra…?_

It hit him like a slap in the face. "They were tracking Star."

Of course they were tracking her; he should have guessed they'd do something like that. After all, they viewed Star as a weapon, and a valuable one at that, as the only successful clone of Steve. If only they'd thought to check. They had the equipment at the Tower, they could have taken care of it then.

Too late now; if only's wouldn't fix this mess.

Bruce quickly packed up his and James's things, and less then ten minutes saw the group loading up in the Barton's vehicle and heading out to wherever this other safe house was. While driving, Laura pulled out a cellphone and called a number. It didn't take long for whoever she was calling – Clint, most likely – to answer.

"The farmhouse has been compromised," Laura said. "We're on our way to the secondary location."

She paused a moment for a response. "We're not hurt. But Hydra took Star."

This time Bruce could hear a muffled response from the phone, though not well enough to make out what was happening. Laura held the phone out to him. "Clint had it on speaker; Steve wants to talk to you."

This was not a conversation that Bruce wanted to have, but he took the phone anyway. "Steve."

"What _happened_?"

It was as close to panicked as Bruce had ever heard him. "I think Hydra had a tracer on her, and that's how they found us. She went out to the barn to use the gym by herself. When I was going to check on her, I saw her with a woman – Dr. Miller – and Bucky."

Steve didn't say anything, but Bruce could hear Tony's muffled swearing in the background. "They threatened to –" he paused, glancing back at the kids. Obviously they could hear every word Bruce spoke, and he didn't want to scare them more than necessary. "They threatened her." Steve was smart enough to fill in the blanks. "They weren't bluffing. I had to let them walk away." And Bruce hated to say this part, but it had to be said. Because he'd tried pleading with Bucky, had tried to point out that Star was just a kid, had tried to pull on his friendship with Steve by pointing out that she was _Steve's_ kid, and there had been no visible reaction. Nothing to give Bruce hope that his words had had any impact at all. "You might not be able to save both of them, Steve."

It wasn't fair, and Bruce understood that. Everything he knew about Bucky Barnes told him that once upon a time, he'd been a good man. He deserved to be saved from Hydra, deserved to have a second chance at life. But Star was just a kid, and if it came down to a choice, Bruce knew what choice needed to be made.

Bruce just hoped that Steve wouldn't be the one forced to make that choice.

"This doesn't change the plan." Fury's voice. Bruce hadn't realized they'd already met up with him.

"Nick," Tony protested. "We can't just abandon her!"

"We don't have a choice," Fury said. "The longer Hydra has her, the greater the risk our plan is exposed. We have to act now."

Star wouldn't willingly reveal their plan, Bruce was sure. But that didn't mean Hydra didn't have ways of getting it out of her.

"I wouldn't underestimate Star either," Natasha spoke up. "She escaped Hydra once already. She might be able to do it again."

It seemed unlikely, if they were using Bucky to guard her, but it wasn't impossible.

"Captain," Fury said, and Bruce winced at the word. It was very near cruelty to call Steve that right now, though Bruce understood why Fury did it. Director Fury didn't need Steve Rogers. He needed _Captain America_ ; he needed the soldier. "You still with us?"

"…We finish the mission."

Steve had sounded near panic before, but Bruce would never guess it now. His quiet, firm words held all the force of the implacable will that had elevated Captain America from a notable piece of history to a near mythic figure. It made the hair on the back of Bruce's neck stand on end.

Hydra had no idea what was coming for them.

* * *

The Winter Soldier was hanging on by a thread. The unease that had pressed in on him after the first attempt to retrieve the target had never left. Instead, it had sunk in, tugging at uncomfortable thoughts and images that might be memories.

No. Not might be memories. They _were_ memories, things that Hydra had decided he needed to forget. It was fragments mostly, images, phrases, sounds, names. One name in particular had bubbled up, though the Winter Soldier hadn't been able to connect it. Steve.

Banner had just connected it for him; Steve was the Captain. And the Winter Soldier _knew him._ Somehow. That part was still fuzzy.

" _Bucky. You don't want to hurt her. She's just a kid; Steve's kid."_

Banner was right, the Winter Soldier realized in the moment when the agent – Rumlow – struck her across the face. He didn't want to hurt her, and he didn't want anyone else hurting her either.

 _She's my mission I have orders_

 _screwtheorderstheyrewrong;iwontletthemhurthershesjustakid_ _._

She met his gaze for a moment, unflinching and unafraid. Determination flickered over her face, and it set off alarm bells in his head. He'd seen that expression before. Not on her, obviously, but on Steve.

 _don'tdoanythingstupid,kid._

She settled back in her seat and smirked up at Rumlow. "Was that supposed to hurt? I know I have super strength and all, but really. It was pretty pathetic."

Rumlow laughed a little, though there was no humor in the sound. The Winter Soldier knew what was going to happen next. She'd all but asked for it. So he wasn't the least bit surprised when Rumlow hit her again, this time with enough force to send her lurching to the side; she'd have fallen out of her seat, if she hadn't been strapped in. What did take him by surprise was the near overwhelming urge to break every bone in Rumlow's hand, and the amount of control it took to keep from acting on the urge.

 _shes just a tool just the mission_

 _She'sakid,andifhehurtsheragain,I'mgoingtobreakhim._

She slowly sat back up. The left side of her face was reddening where Rumlow had hit her, but if her healing factor was as good as the Soldier's, it wouldn't bruise. She grinned, causing a drop of blood to run down her chin. Apparently, the blow had split her lip. "That the best you got?"

"Ignore her, agent," Dr. Miller said from her seat in the copilot's chair. "We've already started training her to resist interrogation. You won't be able to do anything in here to make her talk if she doesn't want to. Wait until we get to the base."

The Winter Soldier knew exactly what training to resist interrogation entailed; Hydra had put him through it. Just the thought of them putting a kid through that made something in him snap and snarl.

Rumlow looked annoyed by the order, but he backed away from the kid. "Don't stop on my account," she said. "Come on; I can do this all day."

The Winter Soldier closed his eyes, her words triggering his most vivid memory yet. He could see it as clearly as if he were standing in that alleyway again, Steve at the end, though not quite the same Steve he'd fought the other day. This Steve was smaller, not much bigger than the kid, holding a trashcan lid in a desperate attempt at a shield while he glared defiance up at the bully he was facing. _"I can do this all day."_

The thread holding the Winter Soldier snapped, and Bucky Barnes opened his eyes.

Bucky quickly reassessed everyone in the jet, now that he could do so without the filter of the Soldier forced on him. Sitwell was flying, Dr. Miller by him in the copilot's chair, and Rumlow was focused on the kid, Star. None of them were paying attention to Bucky, so no one had noticed him breaking through Hydra's control.

"I'm starting to think you want me to hurt you," Rumlow said to Star.

She didn't respond, finally showing some sense. Bucky could almost think Rumlow was right; her taunts seemed designed to get him to hurt her, but there was no strategic value in goading him like that. Then Bucky remembered the look on her face when she'd met his gaze, right before Star had begun taunting Rumlow. He remembered that she'd heard Banner try to snap him out of Hydra's control by saying Bucky wouldn't want Star hurt.

 _That – that is the dumbest, most reckless plan she could possibly have come up with!_

Not that she'd really had better options. And it had worked. She'd been the final straw to snap him out of Hydra's control; didn't mean Bucky had to like the way she'd gone about it. It wasn't the best moment to dwell on her methods though. Now, Bucky had to figure out how to get the two of them away from Hydra without dying.

He considered their odds of escape. He didn't like them, for while they were on the quinjet. He could definitely take out Rumlow, Sitwell, and Miller, but he wasn't sure he could do it without the jet being damaged in the fight. Plus, Star was strapped into a seat right now. Sure, she'd be able to get out on her own, but it would take precious seconds that would give the others an opportunity to wound or kill her. He needed her to be able to move to make sure she wouldn't get hurt.

 _I'll have to wait until we land._

It'd still be tricky. They were heading to a Hydra base; the one they housed him at when he was in New York. There would be more Hydra agents waiting for them there, though luckily not too many more. Hydra generally didn't keep a lot of people at the different bases that housed him as the Winter Soldier. Pierce didn't like too many people knowing his location.

On the ground they'd have more room to maneuver, meaning a better chance of getting Star away without her being hurt. They'd also have a chance to get their hands on a less noticeable getaway vehicle than a jet. It wasn't as detailed of a plan as Bucky would have liked, but under the circumstances it'd have to do.

* * *

Star stayed quiet after the agent's comment about thinking she wanted him to hurt her. Goading him into hurting her was exactly her plan, but she didn't want them to figure it out. She'd have to wait. Once they landed, maybe she could make an escape attempt. If she was lucky, she'd get away, and if not, well, it'd certainly prompt some retaliation. Maybe enough to help Bucky snap out of the control that Hydra had over him. Assuming it was possible to snap him out. If it wasn't, well. This was all just going to hurt.

Their flight only lasted a couple hours. Once they landed, the agent moved towards her, but suddenly Bucky was at her side staring the other man down. "I've got her."

The agent paused, then shrugged. "Whatever."

He headed for the exit ramp, Dr. Miller and the pilot following. "Bring her," Dr. Miller ordered Bucky.

Bucky didn't respond verbally, leaning over Star and reaching for the harness keeping her in the seat. "Trust me, kid."

The words were so quietly spoken, Star might have missed them if not for her enhanced hearing. She kept her face neutral even as her heart rate picked up. _He called me kid._ Did that mean her plan had already worked? Had he regained control of himself?

She couldn't ask any questions without the risk of alerting Dr. Miller or the others. She'd just have to do as Bucky said, and hope that he really was in control, and this wasn't some sort of elaborate trick.

Star stood up from her seat, and Bucky rested one hand on her shoulder, guiding her down the ramp. There were three more agents waiting for them. Dr. Miller and the pilot were already well on their way to the building in front of them, a large, low building that faintly reminded Star of the compound, except this place wasn't surrounded by a wall like the compound had been. There were no minor, secondary buildings either, nor a proper landing pad for the quinjet. They'd just landed in an open, grassy area. Two dark SUVs were parked about a hundred meters to the right.

Bucky's hand tightened on her shoulder, and that was Star's only warning before he shoved her in the direction of the SUVs. "Move!"

There were two security guys between her and the SUVs, and Star's first instinct was to pause and take them down but –

" _You're not a soldier. You're a child."_

She vaulted over their heads instead, landing lightly on the ground and taking off at a sprint none of them could hope to match. Bucky had said to trust him, and she would.

Star heard shouting and gunfire, but didn't pause or look back. As she neared the SUVs, she kept her momentum going, dropping to the ground and rolling under the first vehicle. She popped up in the narrow space between them, taking advantage of the undoubtedly bullet-proof windows to look back and assess the situation.

Dr. Miller was no where in sight. The pilot and two of the agents were already down, either dead or unconscious, and Bucky was making quick work of the other two. But more security people were pouring out of the building.

Star yanked of the handle of the SUV and found it unlocked. _Typical._ She'd found Hydra security to be pretty lax in places they were confident they had full control. She jumped in and opened the glove box, quickly finding the spare key. Then she climbed into the driver's seat and turned the vehicle on.

She'd never driven a car before, but it had never looked that complicated. She pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor, unprepared for the lurch as the vehicle took off. Star jerked at the wheel, doing her best to aim for the group coming out the building. She heard shouting over the engine, and the agents scrambled to get out of her way. One didn't quite make it, going flying with a thud as Star winged him. She stomped on the break pedal, the tires of the SUV squealing at the sudden change. Bucky seemed to materialize by the driver door, and Star scrambled into the passenger seat so he could climb in and take over as driver.

He whipped the car around, speeding for the road. He didn't slow down, even as the building faded from view. Star watched behind them, but she didn't see anyone trying to follow.

"I think we got away," Star said.

"For now," Bucky replied, voice calm. "They'll come after us again."

Star hesitated, glancing up at him. He'd just gotten her away from Hydra, so she decided to tell him what she knew. "Maybe. Maybe not. Director Fury knows about Hydra. Him and the Avengers have a plan to take them down. In a couple hours, they might not be able to come after us."

Bucky didn't respond immediately, possibly absorbing what she'd just told him. "Plans only last until contact with the enemy. Until we know they aren't coming after you, we need to behave as if they are."

His logic made sense. "So we need to find a hideout," she said.

Bucky shook his head. "Won't work. Hydra has a tracker implanted in you. That's how they managed to track you down before."

Star's mouth parted in quiet shock. A tracker? When had they implanted a tracker in her? Her mind immediately supplied a number of tests they'd done that could have covered up implanting something in her. They could have done it when she was first created too; she didn't remember very much from that time.

 _That means Clint's safehouse was compromised because of me._

She'd led Hydra right to his doorstep. Unintentionally, but it had still happened. It was her fault that his family had been placed in danger.

A tracker meant they couldn't hide, and that they couldn't try to reach any of the Avengers. They were about to attack Hydra; Star's presence would only serve as a warning. Steve and the others couldn't afford to lose the advantage that surprise gave them.

"Then we need to get the tracker out of me," Star said. She glanced down her body, wondering where it was hidden. She didn't scar, thanks to her healing factor, so she didn't even have that to act as a clue.

"We're going to need a doctor," Bucky said.

It was a simple statement of fact, but it struck Star as inordinately funny, and she had to hold back a laugh. Because once again, she was on the run from Hydra, and once again, she was in desperate need of a doctor.

* * *

 **AN:** Ya'll have _no idea_ how long I've been waiting for this. Bucky & Star team up on the run from Hydra has been one of my plans from the start. I'm so excited to be at this point. Hopefully this'll be as much fun for everyone else as it's going to be for me.

(and since Star is away from Hydra again, maybe no pitchforks?)


	19. Chapter 19

"Are you sure this is the best option?" Star couldn't help but ask as Bucky slowly pulled into a parking garage that was attached to a large hospital.

"I'm sure," Bucky replied. Star had already learned that Bucky wasn't much of a talker, so she didn't take offence at his clipped reply. Still, she couldn't help but scowl over it.

Star understood the logic behind what they were about to do, but she didn't like it. The plan was going to potentially put a lot of people at risk. It was precisely the sort of thing she wanted to avoid.

But the logic still stood. She and Bucky couldn't do anything until the tracker was removed. That meant they needed a doctor – specifically, they needed a surgeon, or so Bucky had informed her. They didn't know where the tracker was implanted, so that meant they needed the medical equipment to find it. Which meant a hospital.

Apparently, they could not simply go to a hospital, explain what was going on, and have someone help them, which had been Star's initial idea. According to Bucky, trying to explain that she was being chased down by an evil organization and had a tracker implanted in her was likely to get authorities called on them, and the tracker would never get taken out. In order to get actual assistance and quickly, they were going to have to press the issue.

Which meant that Bucky was going to take a hostage. He wasn't going to hurt the hostage of course, but the people working at the hospital wouldn't know that.

Obviously, there were some drawbacks to this plan. Taking a hostage was also going to ensure that police were called, meaning getting out of the hospital – preferably without hurting anyone – could be tricky. And there was a chance that someone might try to call Bucky's bluff, in which case Star wasn't sure what would happen, because they weren't actually going to hurt the hostage. Plus, this was going to cause a lot of stress on people who didn't really deserve it, and Star felt bad about that. But as hard as Star tried to think of another plan, she couldn't.

 _Steve and the others would not approve of this._

Star sighed. Well, they weren't there. It was just her and Bucky, and they had to do _something_.

Bucky pulled into a space and turned the car off before turning to look at her. "You sure you can handle this?"

Star nodded. "I'll be fine. Let's just get it over with."

They left the vehicle, and Bucky led the way to the employee parking spaces they'd driven by upon their entrance into the garage. Star hung back behind him by a couple feet. He was going to be the one nabbing their hostage, and she didn't want to accidentally get in his way.

They made it to the employee area and paused in the shadows, waiting for someone to come along. Minutes crawled by. A group of three came out of the elevators, chatting noisily as they made their way to their cars. Bucky let them go. A few minutes after that, a car pulled in, taking a spot not too far from their hiding place. A woman got out, her light brown hair clipped up and dressed in blue scrubs. The beep of her car alarm echoed as she locked it.

When she moved around the vehicle, Bucky pounced, his metal arm curling around her shoulders and a gun pressing against her temple. "Don't scream."

The woman's hands automatically came up to grab his arm, but of course that was useless. "Okay," the woman said, her voice surprisingly steady considering her situation. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"I need a surgeon," Bucky said.

Star decided this was her cue to move out of her hiding spot. The woman spotted her almost immediately and her eyes went wide. She jerked against Bucky's hold, calling out, "Kid, run!"

 _Oh no. She's nice._

Bad enough that they were having to take an innocent person hostage, but this woman was just automatically trying to keep Star safe. She'd have to figure out a way to properly apologize later.

"Actually, I'm with him," Star told her. The woman stopped struggling, which was good. Not that she could have gotten away from Bucky, but Star wasn't sure how long it might have taken her to realize that Bucky wasn't going to hurt her for struggling against him.

"Let's go," Bucky said. He pulled the woman along to the elevator. Star hit the button for the doors.

"Which floor should we go to so we can find a surgeon?" Star asked.

"Why are you doing this?" the woman asked. Star finally noticed she was wearing a name tag that identified her as Dr. Christine Palmer.

"Which floor?" Bucky snapped. His voice was far more menacing than Star's.

"Third floor," Dr. Palmer said as the elevator doors opened. Luckily there wasn't anyone in the elevator, so they loaded up and Star hit the three button.

Star decided to answer her question. "I've got a tracker implanted somewhere in me. I need it removed."

She glanced up at Dr. Palmer to see the woman's reaction. Dr. Palmer's brows drew together, and it looked like she was trying to work through whether or not Star was serious about what she said. Then the elevator doors dinged, opening up to a hallway.

They were seen almost immediately by a woman in patterned scrubs who took one look at their group and let out a bloodcurdling shriek, dropping the folders in her hands. Star winced. _So much for a quiet entry._

People came rushing at the sound of her scream; people in scrubs, and lab coats, and two in street clothes that may or may not have been hospital employees. Star tensed at the crowd, and the almost universal looks of shock and fear on their faces. This could go so wrong so fast.

Several of the people started trying to talk Bucky down at the same time. "Shut up." The silence was immediate, and Star was kind of impressed. He hadn't even needed to raise his voice.

 _I have got to learn how to do that._

"Cooperate and no one gets hurt," Bucky told them. "I'm looking for a surgeon."

A tall man in scrubs and a lab coat stepped forward, his hands raised to show he was unarmed. "I'm Dr. Strange," he said. "I'm a surgeon. I'll do whatever you need, just let Christine and the girl go."

 _Girl? Does he mean me?_ Star tried to glance around obtrusively. There was no one else by the elevators, so he had to mean her. _Are they assuming Bucky kidnapped me or something?_ They must be. She almost corrected him, but Bucky spoke first.

"That's not how this works," Bucky said. "You'll do what I want, and once you're done, then I'll let her go."

Dr. Strange's gaze dropped to Dr. Palmer's face for just a second then back up at Bucky. "Okay. But if you harm her, the deal is off."

Bucky didn't reply, just glanced over at Star and jerked his head for her to move forward. Star moved towards the doctor. "I've got a tracker in me that I need removed."

Dr. Strange looked down at her, his mouth parting slightly. He looked between her and Bucky, almost as if he was questioning what he was being told. Star scowled at his hesitance. They didn't have time for this; the longer she and Bucky were stuck in this hospital, the more opportunity for things to go wrong and for someone to get hurt.

"Can you do it or not?" Star snapped.

His attention jumped back to her, and he actually looked insulted by her question. "Of course I can."

"Then pretend we're in a hurry." Star tilted her chin and narrowed her eyes, doing her best impersonation of Dr. Miller when she was angry.

Dr. Strange turned and started barking orders; prep operation room two, get so-and-so to assist, and other instructions that didn't mean much to her. He turned back to them. "We'll need to do a scan first to determine the exact location of the tracker. This way."

Star let Bucky follow after him first before falling in at the rear of their little group. She wanted to watch his back, make sure no one tried to do anything stupid. Luckily the crowd scrambled out of their way. _Not that stupid then._

Dr. Strange led the way into a small room that held an exam table and an x-ray machine. It wasn't Star's first time getting an x-ray done, so she hopped up on the table without prompting. "Do you know the general location of the tracker?" Dr. Strange asked.

Star shook her head. "No idea."

His mouth pursed a moment, but he nodded. "Then we'll need to do multiple x-rays until we find it." He adjusted the machine as Star laid back on the table. Bucky and Dr. Palmer were near the wall. Bucky's face was an unreadable mask, but Dr. Palmer was clearly wavering between frightened and angry. Guilt tugged at Star again, and she wished there'd been another way to go about this.

 _Too late now._

The adults moved to the small viewing room behind a glass window. Star stayed still, the quiet hum of the machinery the only noise she could hear. It felt like the process took forever. But finally, the machinery fell silent and the door to the other room opened. Dr. Strange came out, followed by Bucky and Dr. Palmer.

"So where is it?" Star asked.

"There is an object in your right bicep," Dr. Strange said. His words were clipped and he studied her through narrowed eyes. Star got the feeling he hadn't expected to find anything at all.

"Let's move," Bucky said, edging towards the door.

Star hopped off the table. She had absolutely no experience with police, and therefore no real idea of how quickly they might arrive, but she figured the answer was probably sooner rather than later. She scanned the hallway as they walked out and found it empty of people. She didn't hear people in the nearby rooms either. _They must have cleared the area while Dr. Strange was taking the x-rays._

"This way," Dr. Strange said. He led them down the hall, and with every step away from where they'd started Star got more uneasy. She didn't know the layout of this hospital, and Bucky couldn't possibly know it either, which meant Dr. Strange could feasibly be leading them straight into a trap.

 _No, he can't be, he hasn't had a chance to communicate with anyone else to arrange a trap._ Unless he was going to try and spring some kind of trap of his own making, but surely he could see what a bad idea that would be when Bucky had Dr. Palmer as a hostage. Before Star could work herself up too much, they arrived at a set of swinging doors with large windows on the top halves. Through the windows she could see people getting the room ready for the operation, so at least they were doing that part.

Even so, she scowled at the doors. They were a security nightmare. Safe to assume the windows weren't made of bullet proof material, and they didn't leave many places for Bucky to stay out of a sniper's line of sight.

"It would be best if you remained outside the operating room," Dr. Strange said to Bucky. "We need to minimize the risk of infection – "

"No." Bucky's tone left no room for argument.

Dr. Strange seemed unhappy with the answer, but it only took one glance at Dr. Palmer to keep him from arguing about it. They went through the doors, and Star was relieved to see that they did at least have a lock she could engage. Not a great one; it wouldn't keep a truly determined person out for long, but it slow them for a few seconds at least. Seconds could make all the difference.

Bucky made a beeline for one of the few spots hidden from the view of the doors. A nurse guided Star to the table. Star assessed the room as they went; the doors they'd come through was the only proper entry or exit to the room, but in the first really good news since they'd made it to the hospital, there was a line of windows near the ceiling on the far wall. Star glanced over at Bucky, catching his eye, and glanced between him and the windows. Bucky dipped his head a fraction.

 _Okay. The windows are our exit._

Hopefully they wouldn't have to jump straight from the windows to the ground. They were only on the third floor, so it wasn't like they ran the risk of breaking bones or anything unless they landed really wrong, but the shock of the landing would still kind of hurt. Star was going to be in enough pain already, what with getting the tracker out of her arm. She wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of dealing with more.

The nurse picked up a hospital gown from the table and held it out to Star. "You'll need to change into this. You can change behind that screen over there."

Star eyed the paper gown, considered the amount of time it would take to get back into her own clothes after the operation. "No thanks." They needed to be able to leave in a hurry. No way was she going to slow them down like that. Besides, it wasn't like her clothes were in the way of where Dr. Strange needed to work. She'd been wearing her t-shirt when Dr. Miller had taken her, so no long sleeves to think about.

The nurse faltered for a moment. "It's standard procedure."

Star rolled her eyes. "Exactly what part of this do you think is standard?"

The nurse looked like she wanted to argue, but there wasn't time to have this back and forth. Star snatched the gown out of her hands, balled it up, and tossed it to the side. "I'm not changing."

The nurse's mouth pressed into a thin line, clearly unhappy with Star's actions, but she quit arguing about it. Star hopped up on the operating table, and a man came near, towing along an IV and some other medical equipment Star didn't recognize.

"We're going to need to put you to sleep for this," the man told her.

Star was shaking her head before he even finished. "No. No anesthesia." They weren't likely to give her enough to help anyway. It took much higher than typical levels to have any effect on her. Even if they could give her enough, she'd still need to turn it down. She and Bucky needed to be able to run as soon as the tracker was out of her arm, and that meant Star needed a clear head.

"You need the anesthesia." Dr. Strange's clipped voice was slightly muffled by the cloth mask over his mouth, but it still carried easily enough. "If you move at all while I have a knife in your arm, it could cause serious damage."

"Have someone hold my arm down if it makes you feel better," Star said, "but this isn't a debate. No anesthesia."

It definitely looked like he was going to argue the point, but Bucky's voice cut through before he could. "Do as she says."

Dr. Strange rounded on Bucky. "Doing this operation without anesthesia of some kind is tantamount to torture."

Star's head tilted at his use of the word torture. It was one cut, maybe two, and probably a couple stitches to close it up. It'd hurt, sure, but it was hardly the worst pain she'd ever been through. _Great. He's nice too._ She'd sort of figured, since he'd volunteered so quickly to do what they wanted in order to keep Dr. Palmer safe, but this clenched it.

"It wouldn't work on me anyway," Star said. Maybe a bit of truth could move things along. "I'm enhanced. My body would process it too quickly for it to even have an effect."

Dr. Strange turned back towards her, his blue eyes narrowed. Before he could respond, static crackled from the speakers in the corner of the ceiling.

"This is Rick Thompson with the NYPD. I know there's a phone in the room. Pick up when it rings."

It wasn't hard to guess who this Thompson guy was talking too. Bucky glared at Dr. Strange. "Get busy. No stalling."

The phone started to ring as Star laid back on the operating table. She closed her eyes and tuned out the noise. Bucky would handle it one way or another. She needed to concentrate on not flinching and making this process as easy as it could be.

Someone wiped down her bicep with a sharp smelling cloth. She didn't open her eyes to see who. Two hands pressed down on her wrist and forearm to help keep the limb still. "I'm going to make the incision now," Dr. Strange said. "Remember, you must remain still."

Star sucked in a deep breath when she felt him cut her arm, but she didn't flinch. The pain was what she'd expected, and to distract herself she focused on the sound of Dr. Strange's voice as he gave instructions. He also made a point of telling Star what he was doing, which she appreciated.

"I see the object. I'm going to remove it. Don't move."

She felt a sharp pain and weird tugging sensation that made her hold her breath. "It's out." There was a soft clinking as he presumably dropped the tracker on the tray beside the operating table. "I'm going to stitch up the wound now."

 _It's out._

Star was so relieved, she didn't even care about the needle going through her skin. Besides, that part went quickly. It was only the work of moments and Dr. Strange was done.

"It's finished," Dr. Strange said.

She opened her eyes and sat up, glancing down at her arm. The row of stitches was small and neat. _I'll have to try not to tear them. That'd be annoying._

Dr. Strange turned to face Bucky, who wasn't on the phone anymore. "I've done my part. Let Christine go."

Bucky caught Star's gaze, flicked his eyes up towards the windows. She inclined her head. Message received. She hoped. She didn't have much experience with this silent communication thing.

The hand holding the gun dropped, and Bucky gave Dr. Palmer a shove that sent her stumbling in front of the doors, a living shield that the police wouldn't risk shooting. The moment he moved, Star got her feet under her and jumped from the operating table, aiming for the high windows and ignoring the startled shouts behind her. The window ledge was just wide enough to catch hold of with her hands, but there wasn't anything Star could do to stop herself from faceplanting into the wall. Not a dignified escape, but there wasn't time to be picky.

Star pulled herself up to rest her forearms on the window ledge, wincing as the action pulled at the stitches she'd just gotten. They didn't bust though, so that was a win, small as it was. She'd take it.

Bucky landed on the wall beside her, and somehow, he didn't faceplant into it, which wasn't fair. He yanked the window open. "Go!"

Star rolled through the opening, noting that it was in fact a straight drop to pavement below. _Great._ For a moment she was facing back into the room, and she saw the horrified looks on the faces of the doctors and nurses as they stared up at her and Bucky. Guilt pricked her again. "Sorry for scaring you!"

She didn't wait for a response, just let go and kicked away from the building, twisting through the air to make sure she'd land on her feet. She landed carefully, crouching with it to absorb as much of the impact as she could. It didn't stop some pain from shooting up her legs, but nothing was broken which was all that mattered. Bucky landed beside her.

This part of the hospital was flanked by a half empty parking lot which was lit up by bright streetlights. Beyond the parking lot was a road, busy despite the now late hour. "Let's go," Bucky said. He took off at a sprint through the parking lot, Star on his heels. They made it to the road and Bucky skidded to a stop. Star hadn't realized he planned to stop, and stumbled into his back with a grunt. He must have expected her to, because he didn't budge from the impact.

Star looked behind them. People were coming out of the hospital, and she was willing to bet it was the police. "What are we waiting for?"

A particularly loud rumble was coming their way. "That," Bucky replied. Star peered around him. A motorcycle was coming their way. When it drew near, Bucky darted into the road and grabbed the handle with his metal arm, and the poor driver went flying.

Star moved, just barely managing to catch the guy before he landed on the road. She winced as the impact made her stitches tear, and dropped the guy. "Sorry."

Bucky was already on the motorcycle, and Star jumped on behind him and wrapped her arms around him. The engine roared beneath them and they were off, zipping wildly through traffic and around cars. She heard sirens as the police attempted to give chase, but they had enough of a lead that it wasn't hard for Bucky to lose them.

Eventually they made it to a less populated area and Bucky slowed down. They drove until they were the only moving vehicle on a block, and he turned down an alleyway, bringing the motorcycle to a stop and turning it off. Star hopped off the back, and spared a moment to look at her arm. It was bleeding freely where the stitches had popped. Not nearly enough to be threatening to her, but definitely enough to be noticeable, and she didn't have anything to cover it.

"Great," she mumbled. "What are we doing now?"

"We need to find a way to blend in," Bucky said. "We stand out too much." He had a point. Bucky was still outfitted in tactical gear, and Star wasn't dressed for the cold night air and her arm was bleeding. "This way."

She followed him to the end of the alley. There was a door, hidden by shadows. One shove from Bucky was all it took to get it open. Star didn't hear any beeping or wails, so if there was an alarm it must be silent. As her eyes adjusted to the dim interior though, it didn't seem like the place that would have an alarm at all. There were shelves filled with worn odds and ends, and racks of musty smelling clothing.

Bucky snatched a shirt at random from one of the racks and started tearing it into strips. "Come here."

Star clued into what he was planning, and held her arm out from her body to make it easier for him to wrap it. His moves were quick and efficient. He'd clearly had practice doing this.

"There. Try to find a sweatshirt or something to wear."

She moved to the racks of clothes and flipped through them. A part of her wished they had time to linger – she was curious about all these clothes – but she knew they still needed to move quickly, even if Hydra couldn't track them now. Hydra wasn't the only one after them now.

Star found a hoodie that slightly too big for her and tugged it on over her head. In the dim lighting she wasn't sure if it was black or dark blue, but it was plain, which was what mattered most. She rolled the sleeves back so they didn't awkwardly cover her hands.

She turned towards Bucky. He'd discarded his vest for a long sleeve gray shirt and brown jacket. He hovered by a display of hats for a second before picking up two and tossing one at Star. She caught it. The hat was a plain black ball cap. She settled it on her head.

"Do you have a destination in mind?" Star asked.

He paused a moment. "No. For now, we keep moving."

Star followed him out the door they'd come through. Bucky walked past the motorcycle, shoving his hands in the pockets of his tactically acquired jacket. Star eyed him, then copied his posture as well as she could, tucking her hands in the large pocket on the front of her hoodie.

 _We can't just wander forever._

They needed a destination. Star wished she could contact Bruce and Steve and the others, but even if she or Bucky had had a phone, she didn't know any numbers to reach them. They'd have to fix that oversight later. Aside from that, she didn't know where any of them actually were. There was no way Bruce, Laura, and the kids were still at the farmhouse. The others were all at different SHIELD bases by now, and Star didn't know the names or locations of any of them, much less if any of the bases were even in New York. The only place in this city that she was familiar with was –

"The Tower."

Bucky looked down at her. "What?"

"We should go to the Tower," Star said, plan forming in her mind. "Hydra's already attacked there, so they probably won't expect us to go back to it. Plus, it's run by JARVIS, an artificial intelligence that Tony made, so getting in shouldn't be hard. I'm pretty sure it'll recognize me."

"If it can recognize you, it'll probably recognize me too," Bucky pointed out. "That might not be a good thing."

"I'll just tell JARVIS you're helping me now," Star said. "It should be fine. And JARVIS can tell the others that I'm safe, and that you're not with Hydra anymore, so when they come back, they won't mistakenly attack you or something."

He frowned, but he seemed to be considering her words. Star decided to nudge some more. "We can't run forever. We need a place to go to ground for a least a little while."

Bucky was quiet a moment longer, but finally he nodded. "Okay. We'll try it."

He changed directions, crossing the street, and Star stuck close to him. It didn't take long for them to end up in crowds again. Star kept a wary eye on the people they passed, but no one seemed to pay any attention to the two of them.

 _I'm glad Bucky seems to know where he's going because I wouldn't have a clue how to get there._

The walk seemed to take forever. When she wasn't watching the crowds, Star stole looks up at Bucky, wishing she could ask him any of the questions buzzing in her mind. Too bad all the people around made asking questions a bad idea. She'd have to wait.

Finally, they made it to the Tower. Bucky didn't even attempt to approach the front doors, circling the building until he found an unobtrusive, out of the way door. Star tried the handle, and wasn't surprised to find it locked. She didn't want to break the lock, partly because the building belonged to Tony, but also because it would most certainly set off alarms. She looked up over the door, but she didn't see any cameras.

 _I never spotted them inside either, but JARVIS always seemed to know what was going on anyway._

No reason why his outside cameras should be more obvious than the indoor ones. Star tugged the hat off her head and waved it. "Hey, JARVIS! It's me, Star! Don't worry about Bucky, he's helping me now. Can you let us in?"

It was silent a moment, and Star hoped she hadn't just been talking to thin air. Then she heard the distinct clack of the lock disengaging. She settled the hat back on her head, a satisfied smile crossing her face as she looked up at Bucky. "Told you it'd work."

He nodded. "Good job, kid."

Star froze a second at the simply spoken praise. Then she ducked her head and quickly reached for the handle again. This time it turned easily, the door opening into a plain hallway. Lights flickered on as they went inside. When the door shut behind them, the lock engaged again.

"Welcome back, Miss Star," JARVIS's voice came through whatever hidden speakers were nearby. "Are you well?"

"Yeah," Star said. "Bucky helped me get away from Hydra. And it turns out they'd implanted a tracker in me, so we took care of that. Is everyone else okay?"

There was a pause before JARVIS replied. "Dr. Banner and Agent Barton's family moved to an undisclosed location." Her shoulders sagged with relief. She'd figured that was what they'd done, but it was a weight off to hear it confirmed, to know that James and Bruce and the Bartons were really safe. "The others are starting their attack on Hydra."

And just like that all the tension came rushing back. "They are? Now? Are they okay?"

"I will endeavor to keep you updated as best I can," JARVIS said, "but may I suggest you move to the suite upstairs?"

Star heard the ding of the elevator opening down the hall. She scowled, but moved in that direction, Bucky going with her. When they got in the elevator the doors closed and it started going up without them pressing any of the buttons.

"By the way," JARVIS said, "I should inform you that an associate of Mr. Stark's is here."

Bucky stiffened, and Star glanced up, startled. "Who's here?" she asked.

"Her name is Pepper Potts," JARVIS answered. "She is the CEO of Stark Industries. The attack on the Tower garnered quite a bit of media attention, so she came to deal with it personally."

Pepper Potts? Tony had never mentioned anyone by that name. But apparently she worked in Tony's company – not that Star knew what a CEO did, but it must be something important if she was the one handling the media, right? – so that must mean she was trustworthy. Probably. At least, Star couldn't imagine Tony letting someone who _wasn't_ trustworthy have a big role in anything he did.

"Does she know what's going on?" Star asked.

"I have informed her," JARVIS said.

Then there was no more time for questions, as the elevator stopped moving and the doors opened. The sight of the living area was familiar, though someone had boarded up all the broken windows at some point after Star and the others had left.

The figure standing about ten feet away from the elevator however was not familiar. She was tall and slender, her long red hair loose around her shoulders. She was dressed simply in jeans and a sweater, her feet bare. Her arms were crossed under her breasts, and her expression as she silently studied them was more tired than anything else.

Bucky and Star didn't move, and for a minute it was just a silent staring contest between the three of them. Then the woman sighed, her posture relaxing slightly. "Well, come on in then. I'm Pepper. You must be Star and… Sergeant Barnes?"

He flinched. "Bucky is fine."

Pepper nodded. "I don't imagine any of us are going to get any sleep tonight, so is anyone hungry?"

The mention of food reminded Star that she hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning, and her stomach growled in protest. "Yes, please."

Pepper moved towards the kitchen, and Star followed after, the lure of food enough to make her move away from Bucky. She could hear him slowly follow after them. Pepper opened the fridge and studied the contents. "Are you in the mood for anything in particular?"

"Anything is fine," Star said, slipping onto one of the stools by the kitchen island.

She seemed to take Star at her word and began selecting items. Star glanced over her shoulder to see what Bucky was doing; he'd stationed himself a couple feet back, just standing there with his hands in his pockets. His expression was guarded, but Star would venture to guess he probably felt awkward and at a loss. A lot like she'd felt, the first time she'd been here.

Star's fingers drummed on the counter top. It felt like forever since she'd last sat here, even though it hadn't been really. But so much had happened since then, and Star realized she didn't feel quite like the same person she'd been when she'd first come to this place. The first time she'd come to the Tower, she'd been worried, uncertain, and now…well, now she was still worried and uncertain, though for entirely different reasons. The first time, she'd been worried she couldn't trust the Avengers. Now, she was afraid she might never see them again, if something went wrong in the attack.

"They'll be okay, won't they?" The words came out all on their own.

Pepper paused in her movements, looking over at Star. She smiled, but Star thought the expression seemed forced. "Of course they will, sweetheart."

It was a platitude meant to make her feel better, much the way Steve's promise that all of them would be fine and come back had been. Neither of them could guarantee that their words would actually come true.

Star desperately wanted to believe them anyway.

* * *

 **AN:** Can y'all tell I had fun with this chapter? Because I did. Hope y'all had as much fun reading it!

A general note here. We are nearing the end of this fic, but I will most likely be writing a sequel. I realized that I've woven some plot threads into this story that I won't be able to wrap up in a satisfying manner by the time I reach the ending I've got planned. So I want to deal with those, and now that I'm thinking about a sequel some ideas are springing up...more details when I get to the end of this fic. Speaking of, I think there's about 3-4ish chapters left in this one. My ideas have been known to grow, so take that estimate with a grain of salt.


	20. Chapter 20

" _This is Director Fury. This message is currently being broadcast in every SHIELD base. I regret to inform you that tonight, SHIELD ends."_

Alexander stood by his desk, briefcase in hand. He'd been about to leave the Triskelion when Fury's voice had come over the intercom, and now it held him rooted in place. "What is the meaning of this?"

" _SHIELD was founded with the best of intentions: to protect. To stand between our people and the threats they could never hope to face themselves."_

" _I'm sure you all know what they say about the road to Hell."_

" _What some of you don't know is that at our inception, we recruited a number of former Hydra scientists. We were arrogant enough to believe that we could control them. That with the death of the Red Skull, Hydra was no longer a threat. Well, what was it they used to say? Cut off one head and two more will follow?"_

" _We should have listened."_

Alexander had heard enough; he could see where this was going. Clearly things had fallen apart, and he needed to get out of dodge before Fury enacted whatever plan he'd cooked up. He dropped his briefcase and rushed to the door, yanking it open only to find himself staring down the barrel of a handgun.

"I'm sorry," Maria Hill said coolly, "were you going somewhere?"

He slowly raised his hands. "Agent Hill, what do you think you're doing?"

"Please, don't bother," she said. Hill didn't actually roll her eyes, but her tone clearly suggested the expression. "We already know you're Hydra."

"Do you?" Alexander challenged. The phone in his pocket vibrated with a message; he ignored it. "Or are you the Hydra agent?"

She smirked and pointed at the ceiling. "Listen. You don't want to miss this bit."

" _There is no way to bring down Hydra without taking SHIELD with it, but we_ must _stop Hydra. I'll do what I have to do. To that end, I have dumped the entirety to SHIELD's data online. I've also sent lists to every SHIELD agent, as well as every government official and major media outlet, of those that I have identified as Hydra agents. There is also a list of everyone I know is_ not _a Hydra agent, and then the list of everyone else."_

"He can't be serious," Alexander said, shock leaving him gaping.

Hill's expression was grim but determined. "He is. We're stopping Hydra. Whatever it takes."

" _I know what this will cost us. All of our covers are blown. Our secrets exposed. Lives will be lost over this."_

" _But we all joined for a reason; we all had a desire to protect. And now I am asking you to protect our citizens from what may be the greatest threat they've ever faced."_

" _Us."_

" _The choice is up to you."_

* * *

For Sharon Carter, it felt like the sky was falling. Hydra, wrapped up in SHIELD? In the agency she'd dedicated her whole life to, that her aunt had helped to found? It felt impossible.

But she believed Director Fury, and she'd already looked at the list of known Hydra agents. She recognized some of the names, and it made her sick. She'd worked with some of them before. Had saved some of them, and some of them had saved her. She considered some of them friends. Their betrayal hurt in a way nothing had ever hurt her before, but Sharon pushed it down. There would be time for grieving later. Right now, she had a job to do.

Most of Brock Rumlow's Strike team was on the Hydra list. The Strike teams were SHIELD's elite; their best of the best. That made them the most immediate threat. Someone had to take them down before they escaped.

 _They'll go for escape vehicles._

That meant the garage. Sharon took the stairs, knowing the elevator was likely to be a death trap. When she made to the garage level, she spotted Rumlow and his team going for vehicles.

None of them saw Steve coming.

He moved through them like a tornado, faster than Sharon had ever realized he was capable of moving. Three people were down before they even understood what had hit them. A couple managed to get a few shots off, but Steve never slowed. In less than a minute, they were all down.

Sharon slowly lowered the gun she'd had pointed towards them. The movement must have caught Steve's eyes, because he turned her way.

He didn't look surprised to see her, which he definitely should have been. As far as Steve knew, she was just his neighbor, Kate. _Then again, with Fury's lists, he probably does know the truth._

"Can you get them restrained?" he asked, his voice in that sharp, clipped tone other agents jokingly dubbed his "Captain Voice." There wasn't anything funny about it right now.

Sharon holstered her weapon and moved forward, noting how many of the Strike age – _Hydra_ agents had supplies on them, which would include cuffs. "I can."

He nodded once, moving for the stairs. "The exit is blocked, but not inescapable. Don't let Hydra through this way."

"Yes, sir." The response was automatic, even though as a SHIELD agent, Sharon technically had seniority. In this moment, it really didn't matter.

* * *

The whole concept of the Fridge was kind of infuriating to Tony. Infuriating, but not shocking. A special holding facility for all the tech – and people – that SHIELD had deemed too dangerous for the world over the years. Given what they now knew about Hydra, Tony doubted the place had merely operated as a holding facility. All kinds of awful experiments had probably come out of this place. Regardless, Fury was right that they couldn't risk Hydra taking anything from it, which was why Tony was flying in.

The Fridge was easy to spot, towering over the empty landscape of the deserted beach it had been built on. Tony came to a stop on the landing pad at the top of the building.

"Halt!" a voice said over speakers.

"Are we really going to do this?" Tony asked, walking towards the heavy double doors. "I know Fury's message has gone out, and I'm on the Not-Hydra list."

"Anyone could be in that armor," the voice said.

Tony waved a hand. "Actually, anyone _couldn't,_ it's biometrically designed to respond to just me."

"Prove it's you; raise the mask."

 _Well, this is inconvenient._

It wasn't exactly a stupid request, all things considered, especially coming from someone who wasn't familiar with how the Iron Man armor worked. If Tony could be sure that it was a legit SHIELD agent asking, he wouldn't mind complying. But for all he knew, it could be a Hydra agent, and they could have a sniper rifle pointed at his face, just waiting for the opportunity.

"Yeah, see, here's the problem with that," Tony said. "My armor is bullet proof. My face isn't. And I don't know if _you're_ Hydra."

No response. The person was probably trying to figure out how to move forward from that conundrum.

 _They got thirty seconds to figure it out, or I'm blasting my way in._

Well, maybe forty-five seconds. Not everyone could think as fast as Tony Stark.

Thirty-three seconds in, and one of the doors opened just long enough to let a man slip out. He was dressed in SHIELD tactical gear, but the suit's scan revealed he was unarmed. He raised both hands in an unnecessary gesture to show they were empty. "Lift the mask."

 _Neat solution._

Could still be a trap, but Tony was willing to bet not. He flipped the faceplate up. "Satisfied?"

Visible relief flashed across the man's face before he schooled it into a professional calm. "Yes."

They let Tony in and the agent wasted no time in filling him in on their current situation. "The Hydra agents got to the prison levels before we could stop them. We managed to lock the levels down, but they killed our visuals, so we have to assume they've freed the prisoners."

Not good, given SHIELD was keeping enhanced people in this place. "What am I dealing with?"

"Your biggest threat will probably be Marcus Daniels," the agent told him. "Calls himself Blackout; he absorbs energy of all kinds." The agent's eyes flicked down the to reactor in Tony's chest.

 _Yeah, that could be bad._

"How was he stopped the first time?"

"Agent Phil Coulson." It was a name Tony hadn't expected to hear, and he looked over at the agent sharply. "He managed to overload Daniels; apparently there's a limit to how much he can absorb."

 _Even from the grave, Phil's helping out._

Tony flexed a hand. "I'm sure my repulsors can repeat that strategy."

"Sir," JARVIS's voice interrupted. "Miss Star is at Avengers Tower; Sergeant Barnes is with her. She claims he is assisting her now. Should I let them in?"

Tony stopped walking. His first instinct was to turn right around and fly back to New York, because the kid was there, and Pepper had flown in to deal with the media circus that the attack on the tower had caused, and how could they _know_ that Barnes was free from Hydra's control? But that was an impractical impulse, it'd take him hours to get there, and this mess had to be dealt with.

"Let them in," Tony said. "And I need you to make a call."

* * *

Pepper was making grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. Star asked for two, and Bucky stiffly declined when Pepper asked how many he wanted.

 _He has to be hungry._

Bucky hadn't eaten for hours either, and he'd been active. He probably needed to eat even more than Star did.

 _He doesn't trust Pepper._

It was the only reason Star could think of for him to turn down food. Star couldn't blame him; she wouldn't trust Pepper either, only JARVIS and Tony seemed to trust her, and Star trusted them. But Bucky didn't know or have any reason to trust JARVIS and Tony, so he just had to hope that Pepper wouldn't suddenly try to kill them or something.

 _Time to get intel then, so Bucky can figure out she's not a threat._

"JARVIS said you're the CEO for Stark Industries," Star said by way of opening.

Pepper glanced up from the griddle. "I am."

"What's a CEO?" Star asked.

"CEO stands for Chief Executive Officer," Pepper replied. "It means that while Tony owns Stark Industries, I am the one who actually runs it."

… _Oh._

Star was starting to get an idea that there was no one who could really be considered average connected to the Avengers.

Pepper used a spatula to move the grilled ham and cheeses onto a plate and set it in front of Star. The smell made her mouth water, and she decided to disregard questions for just a moment so she could dig in. For such a simple meal, it was still tastier than anything Hydra had ever given her.

"Miss Potts," JARVIS said, and Star automatically glanced up at the voice, even though there wasn't actually anything to look at. "Colonel Rhodes will arrive shortly."

Pepper looked surprised. "Rhodey? What's he doing here?"

"Mr. Stark asked me to call him."

Star vaguely recognized the name. After the initial attack on the tower, Bruce had brought up Colonel Rhodes as a potential person to leave her and James with while the Avengers dealt with Hydra. Tony had nixed the idea, saying Hydra would still be able to track her and James down.

 _Why would Tony ask JARVIS to call him?_

Her mouth was too full of food to ask the question, but it turned out Bucky had the same one.

"Why?" he asked sharply.

"Do not be alarmed," JARVIS said, which was of course immediately alarming. "It is merely precautionary."

Star dropped the sandwich as Bucky lunged forward and grabbed her forearm, yanking her off her stool. "Wait!" Pepper yelled, but Bucky didn't, going for the door that would lead them to the stairwell. Star was too confused by the situation to try and resist.

Before they made it, the elevator doors opened, and a suit of armor stepped out. It looked like Tony's Iron Man armor, except it was silver instead of red and gold, and it had an extra gun mounted on one shoulder. "Don't try it, Barnes."

Bucky froze, his grip on Star's arm tightening enough to make her grimace. Star's eyes darted between the adults, and she finally realized what was happening. _They don't trust Bucky._

"Let go of the girl," Rhodey ordered, further confirming Star's conclusion.

 _But that's not fair! Bucky saved me!_

Sure, he'd kidnapped her first, but that wasn't his fault. Hydra had made him do it.

"Why should I trust you with her?" Bucky snapped.

"I'm not the one who's spent the last seventy some odd years under Hydra's control," Rhodey said. "Look, I'm not interested in hurting you. But I'm not going to take the risk that you're not as free from their control as the kid thinks. Until we can figure it out, for everyone's safety, you need to be contained."

Star bristled. "He's _not_ the enemy!"

"I hope you're right, kid," Rhodey said. "But we don't know that for sure yet."

Star did know it; if Hydra still had a hold on him, there was no way he could have broken her out, or helped her get the tracker removed so she could stay hidden from them. Bucky was free, and it was _wrong_ to lock him back up!

"Star."

She looked up at Bucky when he said her name. He glanced down to meet her gaze, and for a moment his expression flickered to something almost apologetic. "Tell Steve I'm sorry."

Before she had a chance to process his words, Bucky picked her up and tossed her at Rhodey, who caught her with a surprised curse. Bucky had already vanished through the doorway.

"Oh, no you don't," Rhodey said, setting Star down. As he started to move after Bucky, Star lunged for him, aiming low. She caught him around the knees with enough force to unbalance him, and he crashed to the ground with a loud thud as she held on.

 _Ow, ow, ow!_

The suit was heavy and that was definitely going to leave a bruise, but Star hung on grimly. "Kid, let go!" Rhodey snapped. The suit was probably strong enough to kick her off if he'd really wanted to, but doing that would hurt her, and Star was willing to bet he wouldn't.

"No!" she said, clinging tighter. Bucky didn't deserve to be locked up, and she wouldn't let them!

Pepper rushed over and tried to tug her off of him, but her efforts didn't amount to much. It wasn't even difficult for Star to resist her.

"Sergeant Barnes has left the building," JARVIS helpfully reported. At that, Star finally did let go, rolling away from Pepper and Rhodey and sitting up.

Rhodey clambered back to his feet. "Where did he go, JARVIS?"

"My apologies, Colonel, but I cannot track him beyond the premises."

"Just let him go," Pepper said, running a hand over her face. "There's no point in chasing him now. Besides, War Machine flying around will just cause a panic, with what's about to hit the news."

Rhodey was still a moment, then he sighed. The suit slid apart to let a tall black man step out. He shot a stern look down at Star. "Young lady, what were you thinking?"

Star raised her chin and glared up at him. "You can't lock him up! It's not right!"

"No one wants him locked up," Rhodey said. "But Hydra had over seventy years to mess with his head; he needs _help_ to make sure he's okay! For his safety as well as everyone else's!"

Keeping him _contained_ didn't sound like helping to Star.

"Pardon the interruption," JARVIS said, "but the news has begun broadcasting reports about SHIELD. Would you like me to turn the TV on?"

The three of them exchanged looks, checking to see if anyone was going to say no. "Put it on," Pepper said. She moved to the couch as the TV flicked on, Rhodey slowly following to stand behind her, arms crossed over his chest.

Star moved back to the island where her plate of grilled ham and cheeses still sat, now lukewarm. She'd lost her appetite, but knew she needed the calories. Besides, she could see the screen from the bar stool.

The news anchor looked shaken as he spoke. " – in a stunning list provided by Nicholas Fury, the Director of SHIELD."

* * *

There was no doubt in Leslie's mind that Pierce was going to kill her. It didn't matter that this failure wasn't her fault – how could she have predicted that the Winter Soldier would betray them? Or that he'd be cognizant enough to the tracker in Star removed? He was supposed to have been little better than a machine, it wasn't Leslie's responsibility that his programming had failed.

The blame would land on Leslie anyway. That was the way Hydra worked. The only options she had left were to cut her losses and run, and hope that she could stay just far enough ahead of Hydra to keep herself alive.

The first step was getting out of the country, and to that end she was taking a cab to the airport. The cabbie had a news station playing, which Leslie was mostly tuning out until a couple words caught her attention.

" – the list of Hydra loyalists includes several high ranking government officials: Senator Stern, - "

A smile stretched across her face as the list continued, and the tension drained from her.

 _Looks like running will be easier than I thought._

* * *

Nick walked into Alexander's office to find him waiting with his head held high and composure still intact. Nick supposed that pretending he had some semblance of control still was all Alexander had left.

"Nick," Alexander greeted, nodding at him like Maria wasn't holding him at gunpoint still. "I can hardly believe that you've done this. Do you know how many people you're going to get killed?"

"I'm aware of the cost," Nick said. "But the cost of doing nothing was higher. Bringing down Hydra will be worth it."

"Do you really think you have?" Alexander sneered. "You think in one night, you're capable of undoing decades of work? Are you that arrogant? Like you said earlier; cut off one head, and two more shall grow in its place."

Nick pulled his gun out and fired two rounds. He didn't flinch as Alexander toppled over. "Then we'd better get busy."

* * *

 **AN:** Going to be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. But it's the third version I tried and the only version I managed to finish, so this is what we got. Shouldn't take more than another chapter or two to wrap this up, and then on to Part 2. Speaking of: would y'all rather me post the second part as it's own story, or just keep posting the chapters here? I'm open to either option, so I want to do whatever will help y'all keep track of things. Let me know!


End file.
